Miasma City
by GingaHour
Summary: In mafia hub Neo Venice, when people die, they come back as monsters. Tsuna, new Cavallone door greeter, really doesn't need that kind of complication in his life. As the miasma surrounding Neo Venice grows thicker, the mystery behind the death of Tsuna's father starts coming to light as well, and that's definitely something Tsuna could live without. AU
1. Chapter 1

Tsuna doesn't make it five minutes off the train before he's assaulted.

Oh he's known he would be. In a city full of tourism like Neo Venice, there really wasn't much to be done for your wallet other than to stuff it down your underwear, and even then. Tsuna wasn't really for that kind of thing. Even if his mother had sewn a pocket onto his boxers to keep his valuables in.

A few pickpockets, Tsuna imagines he'd be kind of okay against. He's gotten pretty good at protecting his food against the same kind of thief since one month ago some kid named Lambo showed up at his house, declaring he'd be Tsuna's escort to Italy or another. These days he can even get an egg piece or two down his throat before the rest are devoured.

So hand-slapping Tsuna has down. Probably plenty enough to deter smaller pickpockets.

Some kind of giant, furry, monstrosity stares Tsuna down, holding Tsuna between its hulking, sparking body and the station wall. Smoke belches from its slightly open mouth, and into Tsuna's hyperventilating face. It tastes like cheap cigarettes.

This is maybe three hundred levels above "small pickpocket." Hand slapping techniques just don't cover this kind of thing.

Tsuna faintly hopes Lambo takes much longer in the toilet. The kid was maybe fifteen? Sixteen? Too young to watch Tsuna get eaten alive by some cigarette monster thing.

Tsuna's too young to die too, but what can you do?

"I-I don't taste good! I swear!" Tsuna stutters out, trying to slide out underneath the monster's arm. (This kind of hold is the one Tsuna's seen in his mother's day dramas, and really? Really not the way he wants to go.) "S-so – "

The monster roars.

Hot air plasters Tsuna's hair back, and his face feels uncomfortably burnt. Ow.

Tsuna takes one breath of clear air.

And screams.

He's not sure what he meant to accomplish with that, but at the very least, he feels slightly better. Stress relief. He just kind of wishes he hadn't sounded so lady like with that screech.

The monster doesn't seem to appreciate his high-pitched shriek either. It screams back at Tsuna, leaning back, jaws clenched as more smoke pours out of the sides of its mouth.

The sparks stop – then explode out as full-blown fire.

Tsuna covers his face with his arms. He's going to be burnt to death. A step up from being eaten alive, maybe.

However, instead of Tsuna's inevitable firey death, a cool wind blows against Tsuna's front. He hears the monster roar again, but from his left, and the sound of some kind of struggle.

Tsuna dares to crack an eye open.

The monster is on the ground, moaning in what Tsuna assumes is pain. Red fire gushes out of a horizontal slash across its left side, and it groans, a giant paw-like hand coming up to cradle its wound.

"Haha, it seems like I finally got a good hit on you! Lucky!"

Tsuna gapes as he stares at some kind of winged man in a police uniform standing a few meters away, holding a glowing blue Japanese style sword. The man's sleek, black, feathered wings stretch and nestle themselves more snugly on his back, and he crouches, sword held ready.

"Get ready, Monster. My next attack will be the last." The man promises, tone entirely different from the lighthearted one he'd used before.

The monster groans again, feebly finding its feet and crouching. The flames keep gushing from the wound in its side and – and Tsuna moves before he knows what he's doing.

"Wait! Hey, wait!" He cries, terrified of the words coming out of his mouth. "Stop!"

Tsuna plants himself in between the monster and the winged man, arms outstretched. His limbs quake. What is he doing? "S-stop! Don't kill it!"

The man pauses, hands going slack against the hilt of his sword. "Hey, you, move it! What do you think you're doing?"

"I don't know!" Tsuna shouts back, 'cause he really. Doesn't. The monster behind him just tried to crispy fry him a few moments ago. He should be cheering the other man on. But. "But you can't kill him! Please!"

"You don't know what you're doing. Move." The man orders Tsuna, but Tsuna doesn't. He's not sure why, but he can't let this man kill that monster. It wouldn't be right.

"I'm sorry!" Tsuna says.

He doesn't feel the heat from the monster at his back any more.

When Tsuna turns around to look, the monster is gone, there's only a sooty black mark on the ground where it used to be.

His knees give out.

He'd just protected some monster from his savior. What was he doing?

Tsuna closes his arms around his face. He'd just gotten off a plane and a train and he doesn't even know the local language that well. And he'd been attacked by some monster out of a terrible shounen manga or something. It's too much.

"Hey."

Tsuna looks up. The man from before stares at Tsuna, crouched down to be at eye level. His glowing sword is gone, a wooden bamboo one resting easily against his shoulder instead, and the wings have disappeared. Tsuna wonders if he hallucinated the whole thing.

"Hey," the man says again, "Are you alright?"

Tsuna blinks. Isn't he going to ask Tsuna _why_ he defended the monster? Or something? Not that Tsuna would have been able to give him an answer, but still. "Uhm, no. I'm okay." Tsuna says, dazed.

The man grins. "Okay. Good." A warm hand settles on Tsuna's hair, ruffling it. "You shouldn't be out at this time. Monsters like that will come and eat you."

"Just, what was that…?" Tsuna blurts, unable to help himself. "Was that really a monster? Why was it _on fire_?"

The man laughs, the sound hollow. "That," he says, "Was a Grudge Monster. I'm supposing you're new here? You should get out of the streets as soon as possible. Do you have a place to stay?"

A Grudge Monster. Capital letters included. Tsuna flounders at the man's questions. "Uhm, I think? I don't know. Lambo was supposed to – "

Wait.

"L-Lambo!" Tsuna shouts, remembering his travel companion slash escort slash ex-household freeloader, "Oh, no, I need to check on – "

"Geez, I left you for like, five minutes, Tsuna-nii!" Tsuna sighs in relief as lanky Lambo walks towards them, a few pieces of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of one shoe. "_He didn't get mugged or anything, did he, officer_?" Lambo says, in Italian, and Tsuna realizes with a start that he and the officer had been speaking in Japanese the whole time.

They're not even in Japan.

"_No, no, nothing like that at all_!" The man replies, smiling. "_I was just telling him that it's not safe out at this time of night. Do you two have a place to stay? I'll escort the two of you there._"

Tsuna, who does barely passible Italian because he'd been forced to take a foreign language class in college, grimaces at the man's terrible accent. He can barely understand it.

Lambo grimace tells Tsuna he seems to agree. "_Uh, no. I think we're good. Our hotel isn't too far from here anyways._" He says, and leans down to pull at Tsuna's arm. "Come on, Tsuna-nii. Mama would kill me if you don't call her at the hotel."

Still in some matter of shock, Tsuna doesn't resist the teen's pull, letting the boy help him up and pat him down. Tsuna looks back once as Lambo gathers their luggage, and the officer is gone.

As if he'd been swallowed by the night itself.

Tsuna wants to go home.

* * *

Tsuna wonders if perhaps this is an elaborate, terrible joke.

Perhaps his new employer has the wrong idea about him. Like. In general.

Or perhaps he has the wrong idea about his new employer – he hopes.

"Since we're having a large gathering of Familiga tonight, I'm gonna need you to learn everyone's passcodes ASAP, Tsuna." Tsuna's new boss (maybe more _**Boss**_) Dino says to him, all smiles and cheer. "You're unassuming enough that most patrol won't bother listening in for repeat codes, but we can never be too careful. Besides, we'd already decided before our last man, Romeo, got caught, that everyone would use different codes." Dino sighs with feeling, "Overly cautious, the lot of them."

Tsuna thinks maybe Dino is the only one to think so. He also rather thinks he needs to back out of this job _right now_, because his employer just casually included the fact that the last person with Tsuna's job got jailed? Or something? Tsuna's heard lots about how most of Italy is actually Mafia in disguise and he doesn't want to find out how true the stereotype is.

(Also, at no point in any of the terms-of-employment documents did it mention that this job was _illegal_, though it did have suspiciously thorough healthcare and life insurance. Tsuna's never actually heard why and how most of Italy was actual Mafia and_ this may be perhaps why_.)

"I thought cousin Romeo turned himself in to escape Bianchi?" Lambo pipes up, the most interest he's shown during the whole impromptu orientation, and Tsuna stares at the boy, aghast. Not Lambo too…? "Didn't she send him a threat note laced with cyanide? I heard it was something about cheating."

Dino hums, "Well yeah. There was that too, but that's really all Romeo's fault anyways. He's a mafia man. He should have had more honor than that."

There it is. That's just as good as an admission of guilt and Tsuna is _not_ about the illegal side of life. He starts stuttering, "Uh, Dino-san, I'm really grateful you offered me this job and paid for everything, but I really don't think I'm the right kind of person for this job?" Tsuna's voice eeks higher with every word, and finally he squeaks, "So I swear I'll pay you back somehow, but if you'd arrange for me to get back home within the next few hours I'd be forever grateful thankyougoodbye - "

Dino clasps his hand down on Tsuna's shoulder like a heavy shackle. The kind they use in jail cells. "Don't be so modest, Tsuna! I know we've just met, but I knew your father - a great man, he was - and I already consider you like a brother! So don't worry about it." Dino's grin is blinding, and Tsuna grimaces away, leaning back. Far back. "You guys have a word for this, don't you? _Onii-san_? Just consider me your _onii-san_, Tsuna. I know this job is low grade, but I don't doubt you'll rise up the ranks sure enough! Why, you might even be Don material someday!"

Tsuna wonders if the man is looking at Tsuna at all. He's got arms like a stick bug and not a single mark in police records - he doesn't even have a police record at all! He's a completely law abiding citizen. Well, now working-visa immigrant, but same thing. Tsuna really doesn't think this is a good idea.

Lambo looks at Tsuna dubiously too, but not for the same reasons, "Tsuna-nii's a good person, Dino. I'd give him a year max. Someone's gonna eat him alive if we're not careful."

Dino's grip tightens on Tsuna's shoulder, "All the better he's my sworn brother ("_Since when_?!" Tsuna shrieks, ignored) then, isn't it?"

Lambo squints at Dino, then sighs. "Geez. I suppose so. Make sure you assign someone good to look after Tsuna-nii, though. We had a run in with some _polizia_ the other night. It won't be good if someone recognizes him."

"Don't worry," Dino reassures, "Basilicum has been absolutely _rearing_ to meet Tsuna. I'm sure he wouldn't mind bodyguard double duty." The man winks at Tsuna. "Basil worked with your father, back in the day. He's a big fan of yours."

Tsuna sighs.

* * *

As it works out, Tsuna fumbles exactly every one of the passcodes.

It's only thanks to Basil's presence that anything works out at all, and Tsuna wonders if the man hates him now. First day on the job and already he's offended his coworker (?) and the only person between him and probably the barrel end of some Mafioso's handgun. Though Tsuna does wonder how Basil is supposed to be his bodyguard at all. The man is his age and about as intimidating - that is to say, not at all - and far too cheerful besides.

(Basil, Tsuna finds out quickly, learned Japanese from his father, and delighted in the opportunity to use his outdated, period drama worthy dialect on Tsuna himself. Tsuna curses his father, not for the last time, and resolves to step a little on the headstone the next time he visits. It's an empty grave, but it's all the better since at least that way there's no body to rise up and curse Tsuna for his impudence.)

"Sorry about today," Tsuna sighs as the last group in their guest list makes it past the door. The sun is already setting. "I really wasn't expecting Dino-san to put so much on me the first day - I swear I'll try and make it up to you?"

Basil shakes his head, "There is no need to apologize, Sawada-dono! I was pleased to have been of assistance! Pray worry not. I am confident you will get better at this as you go, Sawada-dono. You show much promise."

Tsuna vaguely wonders if all mafia men have terribly skewed senses of judgment or if this has something to do with his dad. Probably the latter. "Er, right. Thanks, Basil-kun." Tsuna hedges.

"Of course, Sawada-dono," Basil starts, then pauses, tensing minutely. "Sawada-dono, since we are done here, why don't we go insi - "

"Oh, hey!" Tsuna swivels around at the vaguely familiar voice. And freezes.

It's the winged policeman from the other night. Except he's not winged this time, nor carrying that Japanese sword, though he has a suspiciously long bag slung behind his back. Tsuna can't remember if it was a katana or a bamboo shinai. "You're that newcomer from last night! How are you? Did you get back to your hotel alright?"

The man sounds genially concerned, and Tsuna can't help a slight smile, "Yeah, that's me. Lambo and I got to our hotel no problem. Thanks, uhm,"

"Yamamoto Takeshi," the man replies, holding out his name tag. Then a hand.

Tsuna shakes it awkwardly, grip weak, "Sawada Tsunayoshi," he replies in kind, forgetting he's sort of a criminal now by association. Basil makes a worried expression from beside him, and Tsuna grimaces.

"Sawada-san, huh? Well, I'm glad to hear you two are okay! Is this where you live? You'd best get inside. The sun is starting to set." Officer Yamamoto intones, and Tsuna wonders what's up with this guy and the dark. Is there some kind of curfew set in Neo Venice?

"Oh, no this isn't… uh." Tsuna fumbles.

Basil comes to the rescue, "Ah, no, Sawada-dono and I were simply waiting for a friend. It seems they're a no-show. If you'll excuse us, officer…." The other man starts gently urging Tsuna away, and Tsuna follows, all too happy to comply.

Officer Yamamoto blinks, "Oh, alright. Also, Sawada-san?" The man stops them, hand catching Tsuna's elbow. The officer leans in conspiratorially, "Please do be careful. The Grudge Monster is still around nearby. I would suggest you stay indoors during sundown for the time being."

While Tsuna gapes at him, Officer Yamamoto grins cheerfully and waves them off, "Have a good night, guys!"

Basil nearly frog marches Tsuna a whole two blocks away before he says, "I would be careful of the police in this neighborhood, Sawada-dono. Very few are honest, and most are corrupt. It would take but a coin for them to turn against us." Tsuna swallows thickly at Basil's low tone. "If I may ask, Sawada-dono, what did the man say to you?"

Ah, right. He'd been meaning to ask someone. "Uh, he was talking about Grudge Monsters…? Do you know what they are – Basil-kun?"

The man turns sheet white in a flash, much to Tsuna's alarm. Basil seems to deliberate with himself for a long moment before answering, "Yes… I do. Please stay away from that officer in the future, Sawada-dono. Those who deal with such monsters only bring bad luck."

Basil refuses to say any more on the subject, and Tsuna frowns.

Just what is up with this place, really?

* * *

The apartment Dino finds for Tsuna is very nice.

The top story above a small bakery, with an overlooking view of the canal nearby. "It's the best place to escape from in an emergency," Dino says, and Tsuna very quickly loses interest in his window view.

The rest of the apartment is very cozy - as per its name, Neo Venice, despite the old looking architecture overlaying most of the city, is only a decade old at most. Built nearby the previous Venice, which perished tragically in an earthquake some years before, Neo Venice was constructed with the old one in mind - similar old Europe architecture and all. As such, Tsuna's apartment is fairly newly built too - and lavishly decorated besides.

It makes him incredibly homesick.

Unfortunately, it'd be something like four in the morning in Japan if he called now, and Tsuna isn't so much a wimp he'd wake his mom just because he _missed her_. Yet.

Which is why, of course, he hangs halfway out his window like a lump, sighing deeply. Leftover pasta from last night's dinner in one hand, and a cheap plastic fork in the other, Tsuna vaguely considers digging out some chopsticks from his luggage before deciding not to. He can't start unpacking. He still needs to ask Dino to get him tickets back to Japan. He is _not_ going to live here as a gangster. Definitely no.

Tsuna thinks he hears a low growling, and he yelps, his perilous grip on his cheap styrofoam plate slipping, sending the food splattering onto the ground below. Like outside, below. "Oh no," Tsuna whispers, horrified. He sticks his head out, swiveling to check for any monster cat things on fire, and decides the coast is clear. He doesn't want his first offense to be _littering_ of all things. Tsuna grabs a coat and runs outside, fork still in hand.

* * *

As it turns out, someone else is already feasting on Tsuna's upturned dinner.

A green-gray feline eye flicks towards Tsuna's steadily approaching form before focusing back on the pasta. It's a small cat, gray, with the oddest leopard-like spots dotting its back. Tsuna doesn't know too much about cats, but he's pretty certain domestic ones don't have that kind of pattern.

The stray - Tsuna's pretty certain it's a stray, no collar and rank smell and all - doesn't even look at Tsuna as he crouches down nearby. It must have been starving. It growls a little when Tsuna reaches out to retrieve his plate, but settles down as Tsuna coos to it, "It's fine - I'm just gonna take my plate - see? Keep eating."

Tsuna watches the cat, thinking. He doesn't remember there being any kind of no-pet rule in the apartment - unless the couple running the bakery downstairs had some issue with it, surely they wouldn't mind a small cat? It looks so small and starved and - Tsuna can't just let it suffer outside, can he?

The cat, now almost comically bloated, having eaten all of Tsuna's leftovers, blinks lazily at Tsuna. "Hey, uh, you want to come home with me? I live right here," Tsuna says, pointing upwards at his open window with his fork. "Pasta's probably not the best for you…. I can go buy some cat food or something in the morning. How about it?"

The cat stills, only its tail flicking, as though it's seriously considering Tsuna's proposal. An Italian cat that understands Japanese. It's kind of a novelty. "Hm?" Tsuna says, tone encouraging, but the cat stands up, growls shortly and walks off without a look back.

Tsuna sighs. He should have known, really.

"Oh! Hello again, Sawada-san."

Tsuna looks up. And screams a bit.

"O-o-officer!" Tsuna stutters, Basil's warnings still close at mind.

"_Those who deal with such monsters only bring bad luck."_

But what exactly are these monsters supposed to be? Grudge Monsters. And exactly what kind of grudge would monsters have anyways?

Officer Yamamoto grins down at Tsuna, "What are you doing out so late, Sawada-san?"

Tsuna stutters, fluttering his styrofoam plate at the officer's face, "U-uhm, I dropped my dinner?" So he came down to pick it up like a good working visa immigrant. No breaking of the law here, no sir.

Officer Yamamoto's smile turns confused, "Dinner…?"

"Er, yeah, I live right here." Tsuna admits, and then grimaces. Telling a police officer his home address, yes a great idea. He's terrible at this being an illegal member of society thing. All the better to quit while he's ahead.

"Ah, I see!" The officer nods. "Taking in the view?"

"Something like that, aha…." Tsuna awkwardly stands up, plate clutched in front of him like a flimsy shield.

Officer Yamamoto's shoulders droop slightly at Tsuna's skittish fear, and Tsuna pauses. This really isn't fair to the officer. Basil is a Mafioso! Surely his words were tinged slightly because of his position? Sure the man had… sprouted… wings… but there was probably some kind of reasonable explanation! Surely. Hopefully.

"Uh, Yamamoto-keiji, would you like to come in?" Tsuna asks before he can lose confidence. "I need to remake my dinner anyways, so if you'd like to join me? There's a bakery right here. So I mean uh if you're not busy or anything…?"

Officer Yamamoto blinks, bewildered at Tsuna for a long moment, before closing his eyes. He sniffs the air experimentally like a dog. Fact checking Tsuna's claim of a bakery?

Finally the man opens his eyes and grins at Tsuna, "Well, it looks like I've lost my tail on my suspect anyways. I won't get another chance until tomorrow. So, dinner?"

"Y-yeah!" Tsuna agrees, fumbling for his packet of semi-ill-gotten money.

In between dinner and talking about their shared Japanese heritage, Tsuna completely forgets to ask Officer Yamamoto about Grudge Monsters. At the very least he'd gotten the first proper conversation since he'd arrived in Italy. No words about dead fathers or the mafia or Tsuna's unlikely survival rate at all.

It's with a light heart that Tsuna sends the officer off into the night. Maybe this "escaping the illegal side of life" thing won't be too hard like this.

All he needs are some nice, normal friends.

* * *

Tsuna doesn't mention his dinner with Officer Yamamoto to Basil or the others. Probably best not to talk about law enforcement with mafia members, really.

Tsuna also tries to talk to Dino about his "I don't want to be a Mafioso" problem, but is promptly talked over and otherwise ignored. Tsuna briefly considers that this may be _on purpose_, but then Dino sends him a smile so full of honest good will, it makes him doubt.

And then doubt that doubt as Dino immediately turns to one of his men and discusses how best to bribe the city mayor into letting up on port taxes.

Time. Tsuna needs time. He'll earn enough to buy that return ticket and then bail out of there.

At the very least, his door-greeting job pays well. Even if it's in suspiciously unmarked white envelopes with nothing but cash.

* * *

Tsuna is prepared this time.

A whole bag of kibble in his arms, Tsuna crouches, staring the gray cat down. He scoots a plate of the food and a bowl of water towards it cautiously and retreats, waddling backwards to give the cat space.

The cat stares at the food, at Tsuna, at the food again, and makes the oddest face at Tsuna.

"Pasta isn't good for you, you know." Tsuna tells it, frowning. "It might taste good, but it's really not something you should be eating."

Despite Tsuna's lecturing, the cat continues staring at Tsuna balefully.

"It's the expensive brand?" Tsuna tries.

The cat deems the food a short whiff, before it grimaces and turns away.

"You're awfully spoilt for a stray." Tsuna says, pouting. He wonders if stores take refunds for opened packages of pet feed. Probably not. The cat hisses at him as though sneering at Tsuna for his monetary set back and flees.

Tsuna sighs. Pasta it is.

"Sawada-san?"

Tsuna looks up, still pouting. It's Officer Yamamoto. This is perhaps rather suspect. "Officer…?" Tsuna says, tone rising in question.

Officer Yamamoto seems as surprised to find him squatting under his window again. "That'd be me. What are you doing here, Sawada-san?"

Tsuna makes a face and stands up, holding out his bag of cat food. "I was trying to feed one of the strays around here, but apparently it doesn't eat cat food." Tsuna explains, dryly. Maybe a local pet shelter will take it.

Officer Yamamoto's eyebrows rise a bit. "A cat that doesn't eat cat food?"

"I think it's spoiled." Tsuna says, exasperated. "Maybe one too many human leftover dishes? I thought this stuff was supposed to taste good to them, but I suppose not."

"Well, I suppose we learn something new everyday." Officer Yamamoto laughs. "Maybe the cat's not a cat." The man suggests, his tone very serious for a moment before dissolving into giggles again.

A cat that isn't a cat…? Tsuna frowns. "Like what? A demon person that turns into a cat?" Sounds like something out of a folk tale.

Officer Yamamoto stares Tsuna down, and only then does Tsuna remember that the man had wings the first time he'd seen him. The immediate question catches in Tsuna's throat, and he flaps his mouth once before closing it with an audible clack.

Well this certainly turned awkward fast.

"Sawada-san – " Officer Yamamoto says as Tsuna starts, "Yamamoto-keiji – " and they both stop, blinking stupidly at each other.

"Er, please go first, Yamamoto-keiji," Tsuna offers.

The man seems to struggle with himself for a moment before finally he says, "I guess I've been meaning to talk with you about that time for a while anyways. Are you busy right now?"

Tsuna shakes his head. Officer Yamamoto grins a little uncertainly at him. "Then let's go."

Before Tsuna can ask _where_, the man's back erupts in a whirlwind of black feathers. Tsuna yelps, hiding his face with his arms, but a strong hand catches his wrist. Officer Yamamoto flashes Tsuna a smile, and then flips him into his arms.

Tsuna screeches, undignified, as the world falls out from below and the officer soars into the sky.

* * *

"Sorry," Officer Yamamoto says, face miserable. "I didn't mean to scare you so badly, Sawada-san."

Tsuna, still wound tightly around the bag of cat kibble, unfreezes enough to wave the man down a bit. "N-no, I'll be good in. In a bit." In a year. "J-just please give me some warning next time." Tsuna's never had a thing about heights before, but looking out at Neo Venice from one of the highest rooftops, he feels dizzy realizing the ground is so far below him.

It occurs to Tsuna belatedly that if Officer Yamamoto turns out to be some monster thing like that Grudge Monster that had attacked him at the station, there's no escape now. Well, he's never claimed to have great foresight.

Officer Yamamoto plops down next to Tsuna, his wings held aloft. "Sorry," the man says again. "I wasn't sure if you would run away if I warned you before hand."

Tsuna stares at him. What is this? A kidnapping? "… I wouldn't have run." Tsuna says, mulishly. He might have screamed a little bit, but it wasn't as though he hadn't shrieked the whole first half of the flight to the rooftop anyways. Tsuna was really tired of this, "ask for forgiveness rather than permission" thing everyone was doing. It seemed something of a Neo Venetian trait, unfortunately.

Officer Yamamoto doesn't look convinced, but nods at Tsuna anyways. He offers a tentative smile. "Better I ask next time?"

"Definitely." Tsuna agrees. He sort-of understands his words belay an understanding of there _being_ a next time, but that's okay. Officer Yamamoto hasn't tried to eat him yet. This may show to be a positive pattern.

Tsuna _wants_ it to be a positive pattern. He's had very few friends so far in his life and the offer is turning out to be fairly easy company. Despite having wings and waving around glowing blue swords at furry, flame-bleeding Grudge Monsters.

He rather thinks it's a testament to how friendly the other man is.

"So, uh," Officer Yamamoto starts, fidgeting. "I guess I should start by reintroducing myself." Black wings flutter as the man takes a deep breath. "My name is Yamamoto Takeshi," the man says. "I'm part of the military police division that hunts Grudge Monsters in Neo Venice. And." Officer Yamamoto pauses.

"And?" Tsuna urges supportively.

"And…." The man pauses again, the subject obviously difficult on him. "I died. Three years ago."

Tsuna stops breathing as Officer Yamamoto matches eyes with him, the previously golden irises glowing faintly _blue_.

"I'm also a Grudge Monster."

* * *

I've managed to casually write 20k+ of this so haha. Ha. It's okay. It's a relatively short story. Yeah. Yeah...


	2. Chapter 2

Tsuna chokes. A bit. A lot.

He's coughing by the time Officer Yamamoto stops doing his glowing thing, hastily patting Tsuna's back (with _ghost hands_, Tsuna's mind provides, thoughtfully) through his saliva-choking episode instead, and Tsuna's eyes burn as he turns his incredulous expression on the man. "_Dead_." Tsuna croaks. "A _Grudge Monster_?"

Officer Yamamoto shifts around on his seat, looking like a chastised schoolboy rather than a human eating monster. "I suppose maybe I should have said this first: Grudge Monsters are born from those who die with regret. Or maybe it's more of a person turns into a Grudge Monster after they die? After all, I'm still me," the man says, "Even if I woke up rather differently, haha."

So Officer Yamamoto isn't a _ghost_ but a _zombie_. Tsuna's played enough video games to know where this kind of thing goes. At the very least, the man hasn't lost limbs, even if he seems to have gained some. "So," Tsuna says, finding his voice properly. "You're like that other, uh, person from the train station…?" Does he bleed fire too?

"No, I'd hope not." Officer Yamamoto laughs. "That guy's _decayed_. He's not a person anymore. I was lucky to have someone get me a stabilizing ring before I became like that. See?" The man holds up his right hand, showing off a rather gaudy ring with a large blue gem inset.

Tsuna sees the ring, but not the officer's point, and nods anyways. "Does that mean," Tsuna bites his lip. "That person… can't…?" Return to himself? Turn back from a monster?

Officer Yamamoto blinks. "Well, I suppose not." He says. "He's probably been gone too long without a stabilizer."

"Probably?" Tsuna parrots. That sounds rather hopeful.

"Probably." The man shrugs. "I've never tried anything like that before. Usually we just get rid of them. Most Grudge Monsters used to be _Mafiosi_ anyways, and technically, they're already dead."

Tsuna gapes a bit. "But Yamamoto-keiji, you're a Grudge Monster too! Right? Doesn't that bother you…?"

"No. Should it?" Officer Yamamoto asks Tsuna, honestly confused, and Tsuna bites back a "yes!"

Quietly, Basil's words of caution ring in the back of Tsuna's mind, and Tsuna frowns.

Officer Yamamoto isn't a bad person, but….

"Sawada-san?"

But there's no denying that his morals are off by a mile.

* * *

Tsuna returns to his illegal job the next day, a little ruffled, a little more inclined to listen to Basil's wise advice. Tsuna flubs a little less on the ever changing passcodes with each growing day, and he's never certain if he's proud of himself or horrified.

The cat by Tsuna's abode takes a liking to Japanese food, funny enough. Tsuna shares his hard earned tonkatsu (the nearest Asian food mart is on the mainland portion of Neo Venice and on a creepy run down corner of town besides; Tsuna reminds himself he is unwittingly a Mafioso too now and he's probably the most illegal member of society in at least a five block radius and braves the dark alleyways to the store) and has his three minute instant ramen stolen every other evening. He rather thinks the cat is getting fat.

The cat, insulted, hisses at Tsuna and throws up ramen noodle and fur in protest.

Tsuna does not comment on its weight ever again.

Lambo occasionally drops in on Tsuna (quite literally _drops in_ once, though how he manages to do that through Tsuna's second floor window, Tsuna is unsure) and tells him, "Mama wants you to call her more often, and also here." Lambo plops a plastic bag wrapped package on Tsuna's stomach. "It's some of that healthy bean smoothie stuff Mama sent me. You can have it." Of course.

The days grow increasingly shorter, and the nights, longer, and by the time Tsuna realizes, he's flipped a page of his calendar already, and his mother calls asking if he needs any more long socks for the winter. Neo Venice is slightly chilly, but hardly different from Namimori in terms of weather, if only a little warmer, and Tsuna declines. It is, of course, about then that Tsuna realizes he's also gathered just enough money for a return ticket back to Japan.

He doesn't. Buy the ticket, that is.

Tsuna hasn't seen Officer Yamamoto since that night.

* * *

Today, Tsuna is not on door duty, but rather tasked with delivery.

"They're nothing big – just last year's finance reports, see?" Dino says, handing Tsuna a sealed packet of papers. Tsuna nearly drops it - it's much heavier than he expected. "There's a lot of embossed papers in there. Don't worry too much about it."

Meaning there's probably something else squeezed in between the papers somewhere. Tsuna's quickly learning the double meanings of his Boss' words and. It's terrible. Terrible mafia influence. Tsuna's mind flits back to the stack of euro set aside for his hypothetical plane ticket.

But whatever. Delivering suspicious packages is… doable. Tsuna agrees to run over to the other side of town. No problem.

The real problem turns out to be that Tsuna's never been to this side of the city before. The winding alleys and side streets coming off the canal is structured as it used to be back in old Venice. Meaning not at all.

Tsuna squints helplessly up at the street sign. Unfortunately this is not the tourist part of Neo Venice. There are no directions here.

Maybe he should have taken another right? But no that would have just made a circle. Maybe. Possibly not, considering.

Tsuna figures it's about time to call in the towel. He doesn't want to intrude on Basil when the man's already done so much for him, but Tsuna doesn't want to wander Neo Venice when night hits.

Or maybe he does, a traitorous part of Tsuna's mind whispers. All the better to meet Officer Yamamoto – Tsuna shuts the thought down there. The stress of being lost must be getting to him.

(Tsuna does worry for his wayward… friend. He was a friend, right?)

As though summoned by Tsuna's thoughts, he runs into a police offer soon after – though it's not quite the one he'd been hoping for.

"_Hello! Are you in need of assistance, sir?"_ A bright, young policewoman smiles at Tsuna.

Tsuna gapes, momentarily taken aback. She's. She's really pretty. Tsuna hardly has to imagine the field of sunflowers blooming behind the policewoman – no wait that's a mural.

Kyoko Sasagawa, the officer's name tag reads. What a pretty name – no, wait, wait.

Tsuna coughs, scrambling for composure. Police officer. Probably has directions out of this death trap. Also may arrest him as a member of illegal society. Right. "Ah, no, er," he stutters. Ugh. "I was just. Lost. Really lost. I'm sorry, do you know the way out of here?" Tsuna tries in Japanese, hoping he'd read the police officer's name tag right.

The woman blinks at Tsuna's use of Japanese. "Oh! So you _are_ Japanese. I'm sorry, I figured you might be lost. You look very out of place here." Officer Sasagawa giggles, and Tsuna deflates. He barely did anything and he still came off as no-good. "Do you know where you're trying to get? I might be able to direct you." The woman asks kindly, and Tsuna hardly thinks about it as he rattles off the street address.

Wait.

Oh no, this is a _police officer_! Tsuna grimaces. It's too late to take his words back, and backtracking is probably more suspicious.

Dino is going to kill him.

Or someone would.

Officer Sasagawa, oblivious to Tsuna's internal strife, pulls out a piece of paper and scribbles on it with a cute pink pen. "The address you're trying to get to isn't too far from here, actually! Here." She hands Tsuna the piece of paper. "You just need to take a right from this street here…."

Tsuna nods, squinting at the mess of squiggles littering the hand drawn map. Why, Neo Venice. Why.

"And if you take this left from the plaza, the address should be on your right! Did you get all of that, sir?" Officer Sasagawa finishes.

Not at all. "Yeah! Thank you so much for the help, Officer." Tsuna says, smiling. He grips the hand drawn map desperately. At least it was cute. His pretty roadmap to Neo Venice induced doom.

"No problem!" Officer Sasagawa grins. "If you ever need more help, please don't hesitate to ask!"

Tsuna tries to take strength from the officer's cheerfully waving visage.

* * *

The end is in sight – Tsuna wheezes as he leans against the trunk of the tree in the middle of the plaza Officer Sasagawa pointed out on her map. He made it. Now all he needed to do was deliver the package and. And probably get lost on the way back too. Ugh. Uggghhh.

But first, which left was it…?

_**Boom.**_

The house on Tsuna's left explodes outwards in a spray of dust and sharp bits of red brick with a resonating sound, freezing Tsuna to the spot. Like a scene from a movie, Tsuna slowly turns towards the explosion, watching in horror as a giant humanoid monster spitting purple flames emerges from the wreckage, roaring.

"Grudge Monster," Tsuna breathes.

It's two in the afternoon.

Like a vacuum, a rush of movement and sound rushes back into Tsuna's sensory perception – the screams of people in the suddenly very cramped plaza, children crying, and over the din, the Grudge Monster's terrible cry.

Tsuna is pushed back by the flow of the crowd. He doesn't mean to resist them – should be running with them – but Tsuna starts moving towards the monster. A hesitant step in front of the other, and as the crowd thins, Tsuna breaks out into a run.

The monster – it came from the direction he was supposed to have delivered the packet of not-papers to.

"_Most Grudge Monsters used to be Mafiosi anyways – "_

Officer Yamamoto's words ring in Tsuna's ears. Right – right! The man had said he was a part of some Grudge Monster fighting team! Where are –

"Hey, you, what are you doing? Get out of here!" A young voice shouts at Tsuna, breaking him out of his thoughts. A. A very _young_ voice.

Tsuna swivels to the side just in time to see a small blur barrage past him and into the Grudge Monster. It goes down in a flurry of limbs and more dust, groaning.

"Take this! Maximum Cannon!" The childish voice shouts, this time from the direction of the monster. Tsuna gapes – no way, was that a kid that had just run past him? The child was in danger - !

Tsuna doesn't get to contemplate this further as he's tackled from behind. "Get down!" A familiar female voice commands, holding Tsuna's head against the crook of an elbow.

Tsuna learns the reason for the command a moment later. A billowing gust of wind violently explodes from above their heads, knocking more than a few lampposts down in Tsuna's peripheral vision. "_Hiee_!" He shrieks, falling back on his childhood cry of distress.

What's going on?!

The hand holding Tsuna's head down doesn't let up until the very last of the dust settles. When the pressure at the back of Tsuna's head disappears, the owner of the hand immediately barks out in a scolding tone, "Onii-chan! What did I tell you about your punches?"

Tsuna coughs and slowly raises his head. There's so much dust from the debris – Tsuna can hardly breathe. Though that may have also been his hyperventilating too.

A patch of fuzzy white hair rises from where the Grudge Monster used to be. The monster itself is suspiciously absent. "To hold them back in the prescience of civilians. Sorry, Kyoko, but it looked really tough! Extreme!" As Tsuna blinks away the dust in his eyes, he takes the image of a boy, maybe six or seven, with a scar across his left temple. He's also self illuminating, visible even against the afternoon sun, with a thick fuzzy tail and rabbit ears.

Tsuna stares. "A-a Grudge Monster…?" He asks, uncertain what to make of the literally _vibrant_ kid. Weren't Grudge Monsters born of dead people…? Certainly this child couldn't -

"I'm not a Grudge Monster!" The child declares, hands on his hips. Now the boy has his attention on Tsuna, he can make out the boy's eye color. They're a glowing yellow. "I'm extremely a Paragon!"

A what now?

"Jeez, Onii-chan. Aren't they almost the same anyways? You're so picky!" Officer Sasagawa chides, and Tsuna turns his head to stare unabashedly at the policewoman instead.

"Kyoko…!" The child whines. "They're extremely different!"

"O-onii-san…?" Tsuna gapes, looking between the two.

"Yeah!" The boy (?) pumps a fist, grinning. "I'm extremely Sasagawa Ryohei! Who are you? Why do you know about Grudge Monsters?"

Tsuna could ask the same . "I-I'm, uh, Sawada Tsunayoshi. I. Uh. Had a run in with some before…?" Tsuna bites his lip, then blurts, "Do either of you know a Yamamoto-keiji…?" Monster-like people with glowing eyes, fighting other Grudge Monsters. This sounded just like Officer Yamamoto's case.

"Oh, Yamamoto-kun…?" Officer Sasagawa asks as her… brother shouts, "The swallow guy! I extremely know him!"

Tsuna nods animatedly, excited for the first hope for news of Officer Yamamoto. "Do you guys know where he might be right now or what he's doing or – "

Officer Sasagawa blinks at Tsuna. "Yamamoto-kun? I think he's off on assignment. Do you know something about that, Onii-chan?"

Ryohei (Sasagawa?) frowns, face contorted with concentration. "Hmm…. I extremely don't remember! He left extremely a while ago!"

Assignment. Away from Neo Venice? Isn't Officer Yamamoto a local policeman?

Officer Sasagawa absently pats Tsuna down, dust from the debris sloughing off him in clouds. "Oh, you're the boy from earlier!" She notes, brightening.

Tsuna bites back a whimper. He's twenty something! A man by any definition. Probably.

"Oh no, that house… you were trying to get here, right?" Officer Sasagawa bites her bottom lip prettily and turns to her… brother. "Onii-chan was there anyone else nearby? Did anyone else get caught in the attack?"

Ryohei blinks. "Er," He squints at his surroundings. "I extremely don't feel anyone else. It's probably okay!"

Is this kid even trying? Tsuna grips the envelope in his hands. He'd almost forgotten about it. Who does he deliver this to now?

Officer Sasagawa nods, easily accepting the kid's flimsy assessment. "That's good. Let's take you to the station. I'm sure this has been a big shock." She takes Tsuna's arm, straightening his spine and near frog marching him down the less destroyed parts of the road. "Onii-chan I'm leaving clean up to you!"

"That's extremely unfair, Kyoko!" Ryohei cries from behind them.

Tsuna can't break Officer Sasagawa's iron grip.

He hopes Dino likes him enough to pay for bail. Maybe.

* * *

"_So, exactly _how much_ did he see?" _A terrifying woman with burn scars down the side of her face stares Tsuna down easily despite her height. A police cap shadows her face like some b-list noir film, and Tsuna gulps. He's dead. This lady looks more mafia than _Mafia_. He's definitely dead.

"_I can't be sure with this case, but it seems he's had contact with Grudge Monsters before through Yamamoto-kun."_ Officer Sasagawa says, looking untroubled. She has a will of _steel_. And a hand of steel too. Tsuna thinks he's bruising under his button up. _"He was delivering that package to the house the Grudge Monster emerged from. I don't think he was aware what was in it though."_

Tsuna closes his eyes. He can't bear to watch. Mafia connection confirmed; he'll be shoved into a cell and he'll have to use his one phone call home to tell his mother, "I'm sorry Mom I tried not to be like Dad and be a gangster but his reputation preceded him and they recruited me." This is the worst.

"_Hmm. Looks like Calvallone's seal. For a guy who tries his best to keep out of our work he sure sticks his foot in it often enough."_ The scary lady says, sounding amused. _"And this kid…. Iemitsu's huh?"_

Tsuna snaps his head towards the conversation. They know his dad? Who in Neo Venice _doesn't_ know his dad? But this is the police. They probably arrested him a couple times.

"_If he's anything like his dad, he'll be useful…." _The woman muses, sending shivers down Tsuna's back and his heart rate flying. _"Send him back to Calvallone, will you? Reborn will want to hear about this."_

"_Yes ma'am!"_ Officer Sasagawa salutes cheerfully. "Let's go, Sawada-san. I'm sure Dino-san is worried to death about you!"

Tsuna stares. That's it?

* * *

"Tsuna! Are you okay?!"

Tsuna is promptly smothered in Dino's green parka as soon as he walks through the door. He's more in shock that sweet looking Officer Sasagawa knows the local mafia enough to personally take Tsuna to Dino's base of operations and _greet Romario with kisses_.

"Sawada-dono? Are you ba – " Basil cuts himself off, and Tsuna turns his head just enough to see past Dino's fur lined hood. The man stands at the edge of the room, staring blankly at Officer Sasagawa.

"Basil-kun! It's been a while. How have you been?" Officer Sasagawa greets, tone warm. She opens her arms and approaches the frozen Basil slowly. Cautiously.

Basil turns white. "Sasagawa-dono…." He breathes.

Then turns around and flees from the room.

"He still hasn't forgiven you guys." Dino says in the pervading silence. Whatever happy atmosphere Officer Sasagawa has curried disappears with Basil's retreating form and Tsuna suppresses a shiver. There's a history here.

"No, I suppose he wouldn't." Officer Sasagawa says softly. She turns around to force a smile at Tsuna. "Well, I won't intrude on you guys any longer. Have a good evening. Stay safe, Sawada-san."

Dino doesn't let Tsuna go for a full minute after the door closes.

Tsuna doesn't want to involve himself any more than he has to. He's still got to return to Japan and start a new, _legal_, life.

Basil's terrified expression flits through Tsuna's mind.

Tsuna looks up at Dino's stony face and makes his decision. "It doesn't look like you have forgiven them either." Tsuna says, unsure where his certainty is coming from. Where the words are coming from.

Dino's fingers tighten briefly on Tsuna's shoulders before relaxing. "What's done is done. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"This has something to do with my no good father, doesn't it?" Tsuna continues. Dino's hand spasms.

"No, he – " Dino makes the mistake of meeting Tsuna's gaze. "Yes. A little." He lets go of Tsuna and steps back, looking awkward. Dino makes faces at the others in the room, but Tsuna doesn't look as he hears the door open and the click of expensive loafers file out.

When the door clicks shut again, Dino sighs loudly.

"I didn't want to ever explain this to you but… it's pretty much an open secret anyways." Dino grimaces. "Tsuna, your father…. He died under really suspicious circumstances."

Tsuna figured as much. Heck, his _mom_ figured as much. It was rather obvious when they were told by sketchy looking, black suited people that Iemitsu died and no he didn't leave a body behind, we're sorry, with no other explanation. Construction worker indeed.

"Basil was there when… he died." Dino continues. "Iemitsu became a Grudge Monster and nearly killed Basil, so by the time Lal and the others – the special investigative division, that is, Sasagawa and those guys – came in with a stabilizing ring – " He pauses. "Actually, maybe I should start with what these things are."

"I know." Tsuna blurts. This is the most he's heard about his wayward father. He can be excused for being impatient. "I uh, talked with one of the police officers." He explains.

Dino's stares at Tsuna for a moment, and then he sighs. "Considering the first thing you did was run into one of them in Neo Venetia, I suppose I should have expected that." He ruffles the back of his head in an agitated fashion. "But no, long story short, they killed Iemitsu's Grudge Monster." Dino pauses to let that sink in. "Lal tried to explain that he deteriorated too quickly to stabilize him, but…."

Tsuna recalls Officer Yamamoto's words.

"_That guy's _decayed_. He's not a person anymore."_

"And that's why you guys don't…." Tsuna waves a hand. "Like the police officers?" Other than the whole mafia is illegal thing, that is.

Dino quirks a smile. "That's a bit of an understatement. But…." He glances briefly at the hall Basil fled down. "Not all of them were there when it happened. I can't blame Sasagawa-chan for something her superiors did. I'm sure the others feel the same. Basil just handles it differently."

By not handling it at all, Tsuna figures. He sighs. "Thank you, Dino-san, for telling me all this." It sounds too unreal. Tsuna hasn't quite processed it yet. He doubts he will for at least a day or two.

Dino seems to realize this too. "No problem, Tsuna." The man smiles wanly. "Don't hesitate to come to me when you want to talk more about it, okay? I know it's a lot to take in. Especially today."

Tsuna nods faintly.

Dino pats his shoulders. "Go home, Tsuna. I'll send Lambo to check in on you later."

* * *

Tsuna hesitates, his hand on the dial pad of his phone.

His mom… deserves to know. He can understand the impulse to keep something like this a secret from her but this is her _husband_. The one she still takes flowers to and pretends not to cry over when Tsuna looks her way.

No body rather means she's kind of always… hoped Iemitsu wasn't _really_ dead.

But he is. He was killed twice. That's in the realm of deader than dead.

Tsuna sighs and puts the phone down. He's still reeling with the information. His dad was a Grudge Monster. And killed by the police. He's still gone, but the how's and why's of the situation makes everything… fresher somehow. Tsuna's not really _sad_ about it – he never was, considering he only vaguely remembers his dad's stocky silhouette anyways – but it's still something of a shock.

Tsuna flops onto his bed. He's called off work for the third day in a row. Darn old man, giving him emotional distress nearly ten years after his death. This isn't fair.

Something scratches at Tsuna's window.

Blinking, Tsuna raises his head, turning to face the closed glass. The leopard spotted stray he's been feeding meows from behind the window, perched precariously on the very shallow sill. Tsuna's up and moving to let the cat in before he thinks about it.

"Hey," Tsuna greets, staring at the cat. "What are you doing here?" The stray only really came at night for dinner. It's the first time Tsuna's seen it in the sunlight.

It meows plaintively at him. Tsuna's missed dinnertime for two days in a row. He grimaces.

Leaving the window open, Tsuna shuffles over to his pantry, retrieving a cup of instant ramen and the cat bowl. "I'm sorry. You're probably here 'cause I haven't been feeding you, huh? I'll get something ready in a second."

The cat pads over to jump on the kitchen counter. It leaves behind dirt smudged paw prints, and Tsuna frowns. "You need a bath."

The cat hisses, disagreeing with him.

It doesn't take long for the water to boil and the ramen to steep, and eventually Tsuna draws a bath while he waits for the stray to finish its meal.

When Tsuna approaches the cat with hands spread wide, armed with rubber gloves, and his pants rolled up, the cat freezes.

"Think of all the bugs and germs and dirt you've got on you." Tsuna admonishes, watching the cat closely. He's forgotten to close the window, darn it. "You'll feel better afterwards." He adds.

The cat makes a threatening growling sound at him. It sounds vaguely familiar.

"Please?" Tsuna tries, unnerved at the growling despite himself. The cat is maybe one tenth his size and still more intimidating than he is. "If you go around like that you'll spread germs. It's flu season. I don't want to catch a cold from you."

The cat suddenly stops growling, ears flattening and looking thoroughly chastised instead. It slumps in Tsuna's arms as he picks it up, determined to make itself dead weight. One last rebellion against Tsuna's authority.

Tsuna closes the window on their way to the bathtub.

* * *

When Tsuna rubs all the dumpster smell out of the cat's fur, he finds it smells like cigarettes. None of the shampoos can quite cover the stench.

* * *

Taking care of the stray – not so stray anymore – cat becomes a near full time job and pulls Tsuna out of his funk enough that he stops calling in from work.

Dino sighs in relief and allows Tsuna's new pet to follow him on his job.

Basil is the first to greet Tsuna when he returns.

"Sawada-dono, I…." The man pauses, glancing awkwardly at Tsuna's shoulder rather than his face.

Tsuna wishes for a moment that he were a more physically affectionate person. Basil looks rather like he needs a hug. Instead he says, "Do you think you can help me today, Basil-kun? I'm still not confident I have everyone's passcode memorized."

The man brightens immensely. "Of course, Sawada-dono! It would my honor."

Tsuma smiles, even as his cat begins to hiss at Basil. "I'm counting on you."

* * *

Tsuna dreams that Officer Yamamoto, in his full Grudge Monster appendage-added glory, glows threateningly over the head of his bed, sword drawn.

His cat – he really needs to name it – pokes sharp claws into Tsuna's abdomen, and Tsuna realizes no. This isn't a dream at all.

"Yamamoto-keiji?" Tsuna gasps, his sleep addled brain having a minor stroke as he takes in the situation. "What are you doing here?" Tsuna pauses and adds, "Where have you _been_?"

"Training camp." The officer says in a clipped voice. "Sawada-san, please don't move."

Tsuna's cat starts growling in a way terribly reminiscent of a wildcat.

"Yamamoto-keiji, what are you doing? Please stop pointing that sword at me." Tsuna tries, slowly sitting up despite the policeman's orders. He starts circling his arms around the cat on his chest, hoping it won't startle the officer into attacking, though who he's protecting is rather up in the air.

Officer Yamamoto tenses. "Let go of that, Sawada-san. It's dangerous." He says, sword not moving an inch.

Tsuna stares, disbelieving at the sight of the sword wielding, glowing, Grudge Monster police officer. "It's a cat, Yamamoto-keiji." Tsuna says. "It's _my_ cat." He adds, in case that isn't clear.

"That's not a cat, Sawada-san." Officer Yamamoto declares. His arms pull the sword up into some kind of attacking pose. "Please let go of it."

Tsuna can read 3:24 off the clock illuminated by the glow of Officer Yamamoto's strange sword. It's far to early. Late. For something like this. "Yamamoto-keiji, I've been feeding this cat for almost two months now and the most dangerous thing he's" (Definitely a he, Tsuna found out) "done is splash me with water when I tried to bathe him." Tsuna deadpans. "He's a cat." Is this because the man has wings? Maybe this is some Grudge Monster bird thing. Cats hunt birds, right? "Please put your sword away? I have some instant coffee. Let's talk this out."

Officer Yamamoto hesitates. "It smells like a Grudge Monster," he tries.

"It smells like cigarettes and fur." Tsuna counters, then cautiously sniffs it. The cat pauses in his growling to turn and look at him, affronted. "And that peach scented shampoo my mom sent me." Tsuna amends. (He doesn't use it himself, the tatters of his manly pride too stubborn to submit to the fruity scent. The cat gets the full brunt of its use instead.) The police officer still looks glowy so Tsuna demands, "Coffee and an explanation, Yamamoto-keiji. In that order."

The man stops glowing at last. "…Okay."

"So," Tsuna says, putting a mug down in front of Officer Yamamoto, who has at least put his wings and sword away, thank god. "Do you have a warrant for breaking and entering my apartment or…?"

The policeman winces. "Uh, no. I just," He waves a hand. "I smelled a Grudge Monster and realized it was coming from your window and." Officer Yamamoto pauses, face slowly flushing an interesting shade of maroon. "I wasn't really thinking. Sorry."

Tsuna half wonders if he should be flattered the man cared enough to worry for his safety. But that's not the issue here.

"So you broke through the window and tried to skewer my cat like a shish kabob." Tsuna finishes. He looks at the cat in question. It hisses and leers at Officer Yamamoto. "Well, now that you know it's not a Gru – " the word feels wrong so Tsuna amends, "not _dangerous_, will you stop trying to kill it?"

Officer Yamamoto looks torn. "I still think it's a Grudge Monster, Sawada-san." The man blurts, tone sincere. "It reeks of rot."

Tsuna trades a look with his cat. It still smells like peach shampoo and nicotine.

"Right. Maybe he's hung around one accidentally? He used to be a stray until sometime last week." Tsuna tries. The policeman still looks uncertain, so Tsuna adds, "For now, why don't you tell me about your… training camp? What was that about?"

The distraction works. "Oh!" Officer Yamamoto brightens so obviously that Tsuna starts feeling guilty. He's turning into a regular illegal member of society. "I went to go train with my mentor! Squalo's been around for _ages_ – "

* * *

"Sawada-san!" Officer Sasagawa greets Tsuna before he makes it into work. He's running on less than optimal levels of sleep, and his cat, the horrible munchkin, is sleeping the night off on his bed instead of accompanying him.

"Sasagawa-keiji," Tsuna returns, yawning. "Good morning." Terrible morning. He should have just called in sick. But then Dino would worry.

"Good morning to you too," Officer Sasagawa giggles. It's the sound of angels. "I've come to pick you up today, Sawada-san. A friend of your father's wants to meet you."

Tsuna freezes. Oh no Dad Talk. He's not sure how he can refuse without sounding rude. "I, uh. I don't know anything about my father. I don't think I'd be able to talk with anyone about him." It's like that awkward time during the funeral with all those friends of his father coming to tell Tsuna how sorry they were for his loss.

"Just come meet him? Please?" Officer Sasagawa asks, big brown eyes boring into Tsuna's and –

"Okay," Tsuna breathes, stupefied by the police officer's pretty.

"Oh, good!" Officer Sasagawa smiles blindingly at Tsuna. "Yamamoto-kun is back from his assignment too, so you'll get to see him in today. You're his friend, right?"

Tsuna nods dumbly. Sleep deprivation and Officer Sasagawa at once was a terrible one two combo.

"Don't worry about Dino-san. I left him a note saying we'd borrow you for the day. He'll understand." Officer Sasagawa adds.

Tsuna sighs, accepting his fate. One awkward Dad Talk, coming right up.

* * *

Tsuna stares down the barrel end of some Mafioso's handgun. Garishly green handgun, but a gun nonetheless. "Uhm," he squeaks, terrified. This isn't the kind of Dad Talk he'd expected to have.

"I need you to die once, Sawada Tsunayoshi." The Mafioso says, tone light and _amused_. "I suggest you hate me."

The terrifying lady with the burn scar doesn't move to help him. Tsuna opens his mouth to scream, call for help – Officer Yamamoto and Sasagawa are in the other room, he thinks, frantically – _something_ –

And then the gun goes off.

Tsuna falls in slow motion, the shock of his death not quite reaching him.

How anticlimactic, Tsuna thinks. All his fretting about dying on the job, dying while going to the Asian food store, dying by the end of some wayward Grudge Monster, dying, rotting in a cell – and this is how it ends. He hates to admit it, but the last two months have been the most exciting in his life. And maybe even enjoyable, despite everything.

And then he thinks about Basil and Dino, given another reason to dislike the police.

That's not okay.

Something warm fills Tsuna, bursting forth from someplace deep in his core. Dino and Basil. Making them hurt because of him and his father and these darn policemen allowing people to die is _not okay_.

Tsuna locks eyes with the man still holding the gun, watching Tsuna's descent with a smile.

And then everything goes up in flames.

* * *

"Sawada-san! Sawada! _Tsuna_!"

Tsuna comes to himself with a gasp. Officer Yamamoto's visage swims above him, looking worried and one step from tears. "Yamamoto-keiji?" Tsuna tries, nearly swallowing his tongue. His mouth is dry and scratchy like a sore throat gone wrong, and it's difficult to breathe.

The air smells acrid.

"Sawada-san!" Officer Yamamoto breathes, relief visible on every line of his body. "How do you feel?" He asks, a hand smoothing through Tsuna's hair. It's about then that Tsuna realizes he's cradled in the taller man's lap.

"Uh, terrible." Tsuna replies honestly. "What. What happened?" He doesn't remember anything that could have led to whatever this current situation is. His entire body feels like it got put through a shredder and then run over by a truck. Every muscle aches like the herald of severe cramps to come.

"Reborn shot you with a Dying Will bullet." Officer Yamamoto says, face darkening. His voice drops octaves. "Though I'm sure he's learned his lesson with you." The man smiles humorlessly, "You just about burned him and the office to ashes. He's lucky he's already dead."

Shot. Bullet. _Burned to ashes_. Tsuna suddenly remembers dying, and he gasps like a fish in air. "I died." Tsuna chokes out. "Yamamoto-keiji, I _died_."

"Temporarily!" Officer Yamamoto replies hastily. "The Dying Will bullet simulates death. Kind of brings out your inner Grudge Monster. Only for five minutes though."

Simulates death. Okay. Strange, but okay. So he's not dead. "Did I get wings too?" Tsuna asks, slightly hysterical. He's still trying to think this through. He's not getting far. Judging by the sunlight, he thinks he's outside. Officer Yamamoto did say that the… office burned.

Oh god. That can't be real.

"No," Officer Yamamoto's lips quirk up a bit. "Your hair did turn an interesting shade of orange, though."

Tsuna doesn't get a chance to reply to that, Officer Sasagawa approaching them with a bottle of water and blanket in hand. "Sawada-san? Are you alright?" She asks, offering the items to Officer Yamamoto to unpackage. "How do you feel?"

"Are you extremely okay?" Ryohei asks from behind his sister's legs, glowing ears and tail gone.

Behind them Tsuna can see the man who shot him giving him a considering look. It's hard to tell from the distance, but he hardly looks ruffled, immaculate suit untouched by the destruction around them. The lady with the burn scar stands behind him, frowning. She doesn't look harmed either.

Tsuna breathes. "Did anyone… get hurt?" He still has no idea what just happened, but Officer Yamamoto talks as though _Tsuna_'s the one who opened the police station to air with the power of some mystical death simulating bullet. If someone got hurt it would be _his_ fault.

The three officers share a look. "No," Officer Sasagawa says at length. "We got everyone out and Yamamoto-kun took care of dowsing the flames. Everyone's okay."

"Oh," Tsuna says. "Good."

He passes out.

* * *

Finding good places to stop is the hardest part at this point ahahah - the pacing gets... strange from here on out. Reborn does terrible things for the narrative.


	3. Chapter 3

The next time Tsuna wakes, his cat is glaring down at him, green-gray eyes balefully gazing down from atop his chest.

"Hello to you too." Tsuna greets, wondering how he's offended the cat this time. His pet jumps off his chest and Tsuna's muscles take the time to remind him they hate him and his wimpy body and he needs to work out regularly, not just once in a fit of _simulated death_ – oh.

"Please tell me it was a dream." Tsuna demands at his ceiling.

"Don't worry. It's about as good as." Dino reassures him.

Tsuna nods. "Okay. Good – wait." He shrieks as he forces his body up and clutches at his sheets, staring his boss down with dinner plate sized eyes. "Dino-san! What the – where did you – "

"I've been taking care of you the past two days. Your cat is mean, Tsuna." Dino says plaintively, taking a sip from one of Tsuna's touristy Neo Venice mugs. More of the coffee reaches the man's shirt than his lips. "Ow! _Merda!_"

"The towels are in the second cabinet to your right – " Tsuna says helpfully.

Dino near rips the door off its hinges in his haste, and quickly runs one under cold water from the sink, and dabs at his coffee stained shirt with another. He shoves the wet towel under his shirt without wringing out the excess liquid and shivers. "Sorry. Thanks, Tsuna." Dino sighs.

People have character flaws, Tsuna knows, but Dino's is pretty drastic. "Are you, uh, alright, Dino-san?"

"Fine, fine. I do this all the time." Dino says. It does nothing to alleviate Tsuna's concern. "Anyways, don't worry about Reborn." Dino continues. "He won't be getting anywhere near enough to try _that_ again." The last part nearly comes out as a growl, and Tsuna swallows thickly. Right. Mafia boss Dino.

"Uh, thanks…?" Tsuna tries. Reborn? He supposes that's the name of the man who shot him. He frowns. "Dino-san… who is Reborn?" How does he know his dad?

Dino freezes. Thawing comes slowly, body parts relaxing with visible effort, bit by bit. "Reborn is…. A hitman, I guess." Dino admits at length. "But a hitman for Grudge Monsters."

So… a Mafioso, Grudge Monster style.

"When we find Grudge Monsters in the city, we call either people like him or the Special Investigations unit in – and it's usually us because a lot of the Grudge Monsters hide out amongst the mafia until they go nuts." Dino gives Tsuna a sidelong glance. "It's not always instantaneous, the deterioration. It makes Grudge Monsters something of a ticking time bomb, see? So the faster we root them out, the better. Reborn is one of the best so he's often called in for tough cases." The man sighs. "Reborn's also… my old tutor."

"Tutor…?" Tsuna parrots. The word doesn't fit anywhere into his memory of the black suited man's style at all.

Dino rubs the back of his head. "Yeah. Back before my old man died, I wanted to be a Grudge Monster hitman too. Reborn took me in as a favor from one of my father's friends." The man laughs, "Though that didn't last long. The Calvallone needed a Don after my father passed away, so here I am now."

Tsuna nods. A thought occurs to him. "Was my father also a Grudge Monster hitman…?" Was that why Reborn and the Special Investigations unit chief knew his dad?

Dino hesitates before admitting. "Yes," He takes a deep breath. "Your father was one of the best. Right after Reborn, and the top amongst those who aren't Grudge Monsters themselves."

"Grudge Monsters themselves…?" Tsuna asks, the phrase catching at his suspicion meters.

"Only Grudge Monsters can defeat Grudge Monsters." Dino explains. "So to be a Grudge Monster hitman, you would either have to be a stabilized Grudge Monster, or use a Dying Will bullet to become one for the job."

Tsuna remembers the feeling of flames and _regret_ as he died and shudders, wondering how anyone could induce something like that upon themselves.

Dino gives him a sympathetic look. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, Tsuna, but it seems you're the type who'd deteriorate the moment you turn. It means you'd be immensely powerful as a Grudge Monster but…."

"I can't even remember what happened after I got shot." Tsuna blurts. "Just a lot of fire and then suddenly Yamamoto-keiji and the others were swaddling me in shock blankets."

Dino nods. "It's not surprising. I think we should call ourselves lucky that this time it was just a Dying Will bullet and not a real one." The man walks over to ruffle Tsuna's hair, smiling sadly. "Hey, Tsuna. Don't you think it's time to go visit your mother?"

The non sequitur has Tsuna staring blankly at the man. "What?"

"You don't like it here, right? The Mafia isn't your thing and all. I've just been thinking that maybe it'd be better if you headed home. I can pay for your ticket and I've still got a few contacts in Japan. We can set you up with a job at some of the higher end companies. Completely legal and – "

"Stop, stop! Dino-san, what are you saying?" Tsuna would have been thrilled to hear this a couple months back. Now it runs a chill down his spine. "I'm okay here. Really. I'm almost completely used to the work, and it's not _that_ off my moral standards." Yet. "So, uh. I."

Dino looks Tsuna straight in the eyes. "It's dangerous here in Neo Venice, Tsuna. Let me send you back to Japan with Basil – he's always wanted to go and see the samurai – and keep you safe. I owe that to your dad at the very least."

Tsuna bites back the knee jerk reaction to assure that there aren't really practicing samurai in Japan anymore and instead says, "It's really uncomfortable arguing against legality here, Dino-san. Just. Let me stay. I can judge for myself if I need to go back to Japan." He catches Dino's gaze and holds it, trying to convey his seriousness. "It's not like people are going to start coming after me with the intent to kill _now_, right?"

Dino sighs. "Reborn might." He mutters under his breath.

Tsuna pretends not to hear that.

"Alright," Dino concedes. "On the condition that you let Basil stick to you like glue. You hear me? Like _glue_. The two of you are Siamese twins from here on out."

"Yes, Boss," Tsuna salutes, smiling. He then buries his face into the depths of his duvet for how easily the words rolled off his tongue.

* * *

Basil nearly tries to argue his way into following Tsuna into the bathroom before Tsuna stops him with reason. "Basil, this isn't a stall. There's going to be _no one else in there_." He hopes. "I'll be fine."

It is, of course, where he finds Reborn, standing behind him in the bathroom mirror's reflection as he washes his hands.

"_Chaos."_

Tsuna doesn't get a scream out before Reborn's hands are over his mouth and nose in a kidnapper's chokehold. He hyperventilates. Or tries to.

"Haven't you wondered how your father could be a Grudge Monster hitman if he deteriorated so fast he immediately attacked Basil after he died?" Reborn starts conversationally. Tsuna shakes his head. It is a good point though.

Not that he's in any position to appreciate it with Reborn cutting off his air supply. Reborn's hands ease off Tsuna's nose some, and Tsuna _breathes_. Oxygen, he has missed you.

"No, your father was like you. Dying Will bullets would just send him into berserk rage." Reborn continues, obviously needing no input from his conversation partner. "What he became was a _Paragon_." The man snorts. "A strange thing for a bastard like him to become, really. He'd shoot himself with the bullets while looking at pictures of you and your mother. Creepy."

Tsuna agrees wholeheartedly. Ew, _Dad_.

What the heck is a Paragon anyways?

"A Paragon," Reborn says, as though he's read Tsuna's mind. "Is the plus version of a Grudge Monster. A monster born of positive emotions like love and happiness." The man's scoff tells Tsuna what he thinks of that. "It's basically a Grudge Monster with strange powers. The nondestructive variety. They're usually weak and fade within a day or two depending on the type." Reborn's beady gaze makes Tsuna's breath catch. "The interesting part is their strange power. Some can heal, some can flip anything from signs and words to turning one's clothes inside out. And some," Reborn leans in terrifying gaze trapping Tsuna in more ways than one, "can turn back time, see into different dimensions, _bring back the dead_." The man backs out of Tsuna's personal space, hands peeling away from Tsuna's mouth, and Tsuna _wheezes_.

"I wonder what power you would have." Reborn finishes lightly, wiping his palms on a dainty handkerchief.

That sounds like a threat. "You're not going to tell me to die again, are you?" Tsuna asks, because he's stupid and his mouth has no filter.

Reborn cocks his gun at him, smiling. "Oh, good. I don't have to explain anything."

Tsuna bites back on the impulse to _scream_. Basil where are you? "I'm not thinking happy thoughts right now!" Tsuna warns. "Mostly bad ones. Like how I'm going to explain to Dino-san and the others why I burned the building down. Again."

"I know." Reborn says, but his evil grin twists into a frown. "Think about your mom or those two police officers who follow you around like ducklings."

Like he's going to do that while the man holds Tsuna at his mercy? "Uhm," Tsuna says.

The gun disappears under Reborn's suit jacket. "It seems you're going to need some incentive." The man says, obviously annoyed. A hand reaches out to grab Tsuna by the back of his shirt like a scruff. "Come on. We're going training."

What, now? "Training," Tsuna repeats, dragging his heels ineffectually as Reborn pulls him along the tile floor. "W-what about Basil?"

The restroom door opens to the aforementioned man's body, crumpled on the ground. Tsuna's blood freezes. Oh my god. Reborn just ki –

"I shot him with a tranquillizer. He'll be up in a few hours. Come on." Reborn leers at Tsuna. "We're going to go find out what Paragon we can wring from your dead body."

Tsuna does his best imitation of the local evil warding gesture. He can't remember if he touches his left or right shoulder first.

Reborn laughs at him.

* * *

"What," Tsuna wheezes, "Does climbing up the side of a building have to do with thinking positive thoughts as I die?"

"It makes you appreciate life when you fall." Reborn deadpans, sitting on a balcony one story above Tsuna. He's sipping on a wine, the jerk. "It also improves your focus. There's no point if you become a Paragon only to fade away in a second or two because your positive emotions were half assed." The man pauses and adds, "And your lack of muscle tone was pissing me off."

Thank you for your honesty, Tsuna thinks uncharitably. He's going to regret life when he falls off this sheer wall and Reborn will have to deal with his berserk Grudge Monster.

"If you fall, I'm going to shoot you, and you'll have to climb up to the top from the bottom again." Reborn informs Tsuna cheerfully.

Tsuna groans into the brick. Even death will not free him from this terror. He clings desperately to the tower. Someone please save him.

* * *

It's a full day and one Dying Will bullet later that Tsuna trudges home, half dead on his feet, and walks straight into Officer Yamamoto's non police uniformed chest.

"Yamamoto-keiji?" Tsuna gapes. It's almost midnight. This is in front of the stairs leading to Tsuna's apartment. What is the man doing here?

"Sawada-san," The policeman greets, looking infinitely relieved. "No need for the 'keiji'. I'm off duty tonight." He hesitates before adding, "It's a little late, but would you like to go for some gelato? I know a place that's still open."

"Sure," Tsuna agrees. His knees scream at him. "Yamamoto…san," Tsuna tries, "How long were you waiting out here?"

"… A while." Yamamoto admits sheepishly. "Can I call you a friend, Sawada-san?" The man blurts. "I wanted to know if you were… okay."

A friend. "If it helps, I've been considering us friends for a while now." Tsuna admits. "And I'm fine. Kind of sore, but fine…?" Is this about the… incident a few days back?

Yamamoto's grin is blinding. "Friends then." He finalizes. "And uh. I know Reborn is training with you." The man hesitates. "Even though I promised he wouldn't do that to you again…." His fist clenches tightly before relaxing at his sides. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Tsuna offers. Well, no, it's not really okay because dying – simulated or not – is really not okay, but it's okay on a scale of illegal mafia job to calling his mom about the circumstances of Iemitsu's death. Tsuna still hasn't worked up the courage for that yet. "I mean it's terrifying and I'm worried someone is going to get hurt, but uh." It's really strange to say it's reassuring that Reborn is skilled enough not to let Tsuna actually die or hurt people. Even Tsuna can appreciate the precision skill Reborn has when he shoot Tsuna with a Dying Will bullet just before his body slams into the ground, extra energy usually used to extend the form for five minutes burning away in an instant to keep him alive and unbroken.

Reborn for all his taunting and cajoling, doesn't mention Iemitsu since his original confrontation in the bathroom. It's a stupid thing to appreciate, but Tsuna does.

Yamamoto pauses to stare Tsuna down. He squints at Tsuna, as though he expects to find some kind of answer in Tsuna's half torn, dirt covered button up and business casual slacks, before sighing and looking away. "The thing is, Sawada-san," Yamamoto starts, looking strangely old, "The appearances of Grudge Monsters have been exploding recently. Most people here hardly see one in their lives, much less every couple of nights. They're even active during the day now." The man locks gazes with Tsuna. "There aren't enough of us to keep everyone safe. Which is why…."

"Reborn is training me to be a Grudge Monster hitman?" Tsuna gapes. And then he frowns, because this is all about his father after all. He feels inexplicably betrayed.

"Yes," Yamamoto winces. "Sasagawa-chan and I tried to argue against it – you're too _nice_ to be a hitman, Sawada-san. Er, sorry to say but." The man flounders for the right words to tell Tsuna he's a wimp.

Tsuna, well acquainted with the fact, waves him off. "I know. I don't think I can do that… killing thing." Even more so thinking in context of his dad's passing. Tsuna shudders. "I'll tell Reborn that. Maybe he'll let me escape?" Unlikely but hope springs eternal, right? Anything to get out of this horrific 'training'. Especially now that he knows what it's for.

Yamamoto nods, some of the tension bleeding out of his shoulders. "Mm. We'll work on dissuading Lal from our side. We're not so short handed we need to conscript people yet."

"Yet" rings in the space between them (when did Tsuna move so far away?) like a hollow promise.

Yamamoto coughs, awkwardly. "The gelato place is at the next right. Come on, we can talk inside."

* * *

"And what makes you think I'm doing this to make you a _hitman_?" Reborn laughs.

His mean guffaws leave Tsuna feeling silly he's assumed it at all. "W-what – but Yamamoto said you guys are short handed and –"

"If _they_," emphasis on them not including Reborn, "were truly short handed, I wouldn't be sitting here telling you to do push ups, now would I? I'd be cleaning up after their incompetence." The man stomps his foot on Tsuna's lower back. "Stop sticking your ass up. Your form is atrocious."

Tsuna turns red and does his best to rebalance himself. His arms and stomach muscles are dying. "Then why are you doing this?" Tsuna asks, flabbergasted. Does the man have so little to do that he's taken up torturing no names like Tsuna? Does he have a grudge against his dad he's putting Tsuna through?

"I've told you already: your Paragon form. I want to see it." Reborn kicks Tsuna's feet out from under him. Tsuna squawks and collapses onto the ground. "Don't be stupid. What kind of imbecile do you think I am to punish you for Iemitsu's stupidity? You have your own in spades."

Is that an insult or a backhanded compliment? Probably an insult. "I didn't say anything about that!" Tsuna whines.

"But you thought it." Reborn leers. "Get up. Give me a hundred _proper_ push ups, and I'll consider letting you live today."

Tsuna wheezes. He can't even do ten!

A gun clicks, safety pulled. Tsuna hastily pulls himself back into position.

"Start counting."

* * *

Tsuna thinks he's dying.

"Tsuna!" Dino cries, shaking him like a ragdoll. "Where have you _been_?! When we found Basil knocked out and you missing I thought – "

This is the second day in a row he hasn't made it to his apartment. (Reborn kidnapped him straight from the gelato place.) Dino and Basil practically jumped out of the alleyway on his way home.

His cat must be starving.

"—and you didn't _call in_ or _come to work_ and I assumed the worst! I have a grievance letter written explaining your death!" Dino continues, systematically closing off Tsuna's airway by crushing Tsuna's ribcage under his strangely well-muscled arms. Isn't this guy a paper pusher?

"Please tell me you didn't send that." Tsuna gasps in between breaths. His poor mother would have a heart attack.

"I almost did! Tsuna, you have some explaining to do!" And now the man sounds like some overbearing matron. Basil hovers just behind Dino, looking flustered. Dino must have dressed him down something terrible too, thinking on it.

Tsuna goes for the quickest explanation requiring the least amount of words. He doesn't have enough oxygen for more. "Reborn." He wheezes out.

Dino drops him like a sack of potatoes.

_Air_. But also "Ow!" his knees. And every other muscle and joint Reborn's tortured.

"Sorry," Dino says immediately, but he doesn't reach down like Basil does to help Tsuna back to his feet. The man wrings his hands. "Tsuna, Reborn is – "

"Trying to make a Paragon out of me." Tsuna finishes. "He laughed when I asked him if he wanted to train me to be a hitman." He admits, face flushing again.

But if anything, Dino's face hardens. "A… Paragon, you said?"

Beside him, Basil's hands clamp tightly around Tsuna's upper arm, lips set in a thin line. "Like Master." Basil mutters.

Tsuna winces.

Dino looks torn. "Tsuna, I don't know if Reborn's told you this, but Paragons aren't like Grudge Monsters. You can't just shoot someone with a Dying Will bullet and create one from some small wish." He explains, looking harried. "Paragons made like that can _actually die_ if they fulfill the objective of their regret. They're not anchored to a body like Grudge Monsters. They _fade_. That applies to simulated ones."

"Fulfill an objective…?" Tsuna stares. He's never heard this before.

Dino blinks. "Don't you know…? What kind of explanation did these guys give you?" The man frowns. "Come on. This isn't the place to discuss this. Let's go back to HQ."

"We need to fill those holes in your knowledge, Tsuna."

* * *

"What do you know about Grudge Monsters and Paragons, Tsuna?" Dino asks, the overhanging lamplight casting sinister waxing shadows across the Don's face. "Basil, were are the other lights?"

"I thought you wanted this clandestine?" Basil replies, the faint outline of his pressed suit barely visible behind Dino's shoulders.

Tsuna shudders.

"Yeah, but this lighting hurts my eyes. Also no one's in HQ right now anyways."

The rest of the lights come on. Tsuna feels a little less like he's going to be next day's headline: "Man Found Dangling From Entrails Like Garland Across City Streetlights." Then Dino's singular attention turns back to him and the feeling returns.

"Uhm," Tsuna starts. He wracks his brains for the brief conversations he's had across the few months he's lived in Neo Venice. "Grudge Monsters are dead people come back to life with regrets and they lose their grip on their humanity the longer they stay without a ring?" Tsuna remembers the ridiculously gaudy one always on Yamamoto's middle finger. "Paragons are similar but are born of positive emotions. And they're weaker, with special abilities."

Dino eases back from looming threateningly over Tsuna and sighs. "Just the basics then." The man doesn't look at Tsuna for a long moment, the tight lines of his mouth hidden behind interwoven fingers.

The uncomfortable silence stretches. Tsuna is set to squirming before Dino finally opens his mouth again.

"There's a reason why Grudge Monsters appear in greater numbers in mafia society." Dino says, finally. "I mean other than the fact that our mortality rate high from the nature of our jobs." He throws in casually. "Grudge Monsters and Paragons don't just pop into existence whenever someone dies. There'd be so many no one would be able to keep up with them. It needs to be someone _special_. Someone with a will so strong it can't be dominated by death."

Dino looks Tsuna in the eye and Tsuna half expects some somber orchestral piece to start playing. He needs to stop playing videogames.

"Obviously the easiest regret then, in death – especially in cases of unnatural death – is seeking vengeance for their murder." Dino says. "Hate, jealousy, revenge – the mafia has more than enough of its lion's share of such strong emotions. Emotion is the driving force of these monsters, and negative emotions don't go away after the regret is fulfilled. Grudge Monsters just feed on the negative emotions they generate from their destruction and get stronger the longer they're around.

"Paragons are the same: they're basically Grudge Monsters, but not geared towards so much destruction. They _can_ be, but it's usually not the case. They also feed off emotions and their aim is to fulfill their dying regret. The reason they have their powers is to solve their dying wish. Grudge Monsters have 'powers' too, but they just don't require much to fulfill theirs except brute strength." Dino adds wryly. "Their mind deteriorates too fast for any other ability to really help anyways, though occasionally you will see some… interesting destructive abilities."

"The easiest way to categorize these monsters is by the way they are formed." Dino continues, fully into his lecture by now, standing up and pacing with his arms behind his back. "Grudge Monsters anchor themselves to the corpse. It can make for some extremely gruesome forms, especially if the monster isn't cognizant enough to repair the damage to its body.

"Paragons, on the other hand, are born from spirits. The body doesn't reanimate and is left behind. This makes them more fragile. Once they resolve their regret they fade because they have no anchor to the mortal plane." Dino's gaze sharpens. "All of this applies to Grudge Monsters and Paragons born from Dying Will bullets. Do you understand, Tsuna?"

Not a thing. "Uh, sure?" Tsuna tries anyways. Grudge Monsters are zombies, Paragons are ghosts. Creepy. "So what happens if they don't fulfill their regret? Do they just stick around here forever?" Vengeful spirits to haunt the grounds of their deaths for eternity? Eurgh. Dino's dramatics are rubbing off on him.

"Until someone comes around and kills them. But it's unlikely that they'll stand around and do nothing without a stabilizer. They lose their humanity and their reasoning. Eventually, only the base impulse to fulfill their regret animates them at all." Dino explains. "But, that's not my point here, Tsuna." The man slams his hands down on the desk separating them and leans in. "What I'm saying, Tsuna, is that if you get shot with the Dying Will bullet and become a Paragon, you will be driven to fulfill whatever regret you had. People shot by Dying Will bullets don't have to have strong regret. If you become a Paragon with an easily fulfilled wish, you will _fade_, Tsuna. The death isn't _simulated_. It's just temporary. Anything that happens to you during those five minutes continue to affect you as relevant. _Do you understand_?" Dino almost looks feverish, his determination in getting Tsuna to understand his predicament overwhelming in its intensity.

Tsuna nods dumbly.

"Sawada-dono," Basil says, and Tsuna jumps. He'd almost forgotten the man was with them. "What Dino-dono means to say is that thoust mustn't engage in such dangerous activities. Especially with someone like Reborn."

They make it sound so _illicit_. "This isn't really… that is to say – " Tsuna fumbles for words. "Reborn's really hard to say no to!" The man is the type to sweep others into his pace, regardless of situation. Or permission. Kind of like _every other person in Neo Venice_. It some kind of shared local trait. It has to be.

"Then we'll _help_ you say no." Dino announces. "You have to be firm in this, Tsuna. This is your _life_ at stake. I won't let Reborn mess with it just because of his damn curiosity."

Tsuna appreciates their concern. He really does. But do they have to word everything like he's going to _die_ no matter what though? It does terrible things to his self-esteem.

Tsuna looks back at their overly motivated expressions and represses a sigh.

* * *

"Stupid student-mine. Did you really think I'd let Tsuna die like that? I'm training him to _survive_ the ordeal. Not to die for it." Reborn digs his polished heel into the small of Dino's back, Dino's own whip (a _whip_ – who actually used stuff like that these days?) used to bind the man's wrists and ankles like some barbaric human offering.

Dino, Basil, and some good twenty of Dino's men went down in a matter of a couple minutes. Reborn hadn't even pulled his gun out.

"I'm not your student anymore, Reborn." Dino grinds out. "And even if you _do_ train Tsuna, it's still dangerous! Circumstances _change_ at the precipice of death! Even if temporary. Who knows what could happen if Tsuna's Paragon form ends up as monstrous as – ggck!" Dino gasps as Reborn presses his face into the ground with _intent_.

The man looks carefully blank. "There is a lot I will tolerate from you, Dino, but you know my limits." Reborn says, voice bland, but eyes hard. "Don't test them."

Dino glares at him, but doesn't say anything more.

"I'll train Tsuna more than enough for him to handle a Paragon form." Reborn declares. "Unlike you, I don't plan to coddle him like a babe." (Tsuna feels a shiver go down his back.) "I'll provide him the tools he needs and _he'll_ make the decision when he needs to. Deal?"

"_Don't say something like that when you don't plan on giving anyone any kind of choice at all." _Basil mutters in his native language from behind Dino. So far they'd been using Japanese – strange that there were so many Japanese-speaking Italians in Neo Venice – but now, as the man pulls himself onto his feet slowly, Basil looks too emotionally distraught to care for Tsuna's language comforts. A rigid tension pulls the lines of his body taut. _"Don't you _dare_ pretend like you care enough about Sawada-dono when _you let _– "_

Tsuna moves before he consciously thinks about it, skidding in between Basil and a visibly irate Reborn as the latter aims his non-neon green pistol at the shorter man. "Stop." Tsuna pleads. "Stop, stop, _stop_. I know you guys have bones to pick with each other, so stop using me as an excuse to duke things out." This is quickly becoming a macho posturing match and Tsuna can't keep up. It's frustrating that he's being pulled back and forth for something he isn't even involved in, except that _yes he is_ now that they've decided to move their grudge match onto him.

Dino, Basil, and Reborn all open their mouths to say something. Tsuna talks loudly over their accusations. "I'm curious about my Paragon form too." No he's not. "So I'm going to stick with Reborn's training for now. Okay, Dino-san? Basil-kun? Reborn said I don't have to become a Paragon if I don't absolutely want to, so we can talk about that _then_. When it becomes _relevant_." Reborn looks too triumphant. This is supposed to be a compromise, so Tsuna adds, "And it's not like this is supposed to be super secret anyways. Someone can watch us with help on speed dial if things start looking bad."

A flash of annoyance crosses Reborn's face. _Good_, Tsuna thinks. This is his first victory against the man. He can savor it if he wants, darn it.

"This is a bad idea, Sawada-dono," Basil tells him quietly.

Tsuna knows. He regrets it immensely.

* * *

Yamamoto, Kyoko (Tsuna got _permission_ to call Officer Sasagawa _Kyoko_; he's still on clouds), and Ryohei stare at Tsuna as if he's grown a second head. Or started spewing fire again.

Tsuna hastily pats the top of his head, making sure it hasn't spontaneously combusted or anything similar. No more burning down buildings for him. Nosirree.

"You told _Reborn-san_ off?" Kyoko asks, voice just a tad breathless. It makes the tips of Tsuna's ears flush.

"That's such a strong way to say it," Tsuna disagrees. "More like… I made a compromise without his permission?" Certainly rebellious enough to warrant careful reexamination of his will and testimony. Just in case.

"Extreme!" Ryohei bounces in his seat, setting the phonebooks stacked underneath him to wobbling. Kyoko stabilizes them with an absent hand.

Yamamoto looks entirely too cheerful. "That's amazing, Tsuna!" (Yamamoto wrangled a casual name out of Tsuna as soon as Kyoko and Ryohei moved down from honorifics.) "Reborn's been around so long _no one_ tries anything like that with him. He's even older than _Squalo_. How old is he again?"

"At least seventy," Kyoko says. Tsuna coughs into his latte. "Lal-san says he started working with the special investigations unit around the time she joined, and that was fifty years ago. Who knows how long he's _actually_ been around though. It's hard to tell with freelancers like Reborn."

Yamamoto pats Tsuna's back as he asphyxiates into his coffee. "Really? I thought he's gotta be a hundred years old at _least_. Squalo's almost ninety."

"Wait," Tsuna coughs. "What do you guys mean they're that old? Reborn looks like he's maybe thirty, not – " Not nearly a _hundred_.

Kyoko makes a sympathetic noise at him. "Ah, I suppose you wouldn't know since you've only been here very recently. Grudge Monsters and Paragons don't age after their death. There's not a body _to _age any more. Like Onii-chan."

Ryohei stops shoveling crepe down his throat long enough to look up at his sister at the mention of his name. "What about me?" He asks, whipped cream and jam splattered all over his face.

"Just talking about how old you are, Onii-chan." Kyoko says, even as she leans over to wipe her sibling's face. "He's a year older than me, but he hasn't aged at all since we were kids. It was kind of weird getting used to being taller than Onii-chan."

"Yeah! I'm extremely older than I look!" Ryohei proclaims, waving his fork in the air. "Sawada, you can extremely call me Onii-san too!"

Tsuna grins awkwardly at the seven year old. "Uh, sure, Onii-san." He vaguely wonders if Dino would be offended.

"I just call Sempai, Sempai." Yamamoto says. "I've only just started to the others in the department. Three years isn't much compared to a couple decades here."

Kyoko, the only other human in their group, smiles wanly at Tsuna. She leans slightly closer, shoulders just brushing. "They don't change, just as they stop aging." Kyoko says softly into Tsuna's ear. "It makes it really difficult for a lot of them to adapt throughout the years. Onii-chan and Yamamoto-kun are still new so it doesn't show as much, but…."

Tsuna nods minutely. He looks at Ryohei who acts his physical age, despite being over twenty years old. He thinks about Reborn who lashes out when old hurts are brought up.

And he thinks about Basil, who hasn't dealt with the passing of Iemitsu, ten years prior.

* * *

It is, of course, only a matter of time before something goes wrong.

It's Lambo sitting in on one of Tsuna's and Reborn's training sessions ("Only for today. Be grateful for my presence! I'm not _really_ part of the Calvallone, you know. I only do this because _my_ Familigia appointed me ambassad – ow! Ow, ow, okay, I'll stop talking! Save me, Tsunaaa!") lazily cheering him on as he dodges Reborn's rubber bullets. Not an ounce of concern for Tsuna's imminent hospitalization.

Tsuna's just managed to full body slide behind a boulder when a feminine voice calls at them. _"Reborn~! Caro! Why didn't you tell me you were back? I would have taken time off to see you!" _A red haired woman prances across the rubber bullet ridden field to drape herself over Reborn, and Tsuna stares. A girlfriend? A frigid guy like him can keep one?

A shot flies over Tsuna's head and he shrieks, diving for cover behind the boulder again.

"_Bianchi!"_ Lambo shouts, somewhere beyond Tsuna's range of vision. _"What are you doing here? Aren't you on assignment?"_

"_I am. Reborn, there's been a break from Vendicare."_ The lady – Bianchi? – says, tone entirely different from the girlish one she used previous. _"The stubborn fools refuse to tell us _who_ escaped, but it's a fairly dangerous one by report. Lal wants all of us patrolling."_

There's silence for a long moment.

Tsuna peeks his head out again just in time to watch Reborn turn towards Bianchi and away from him. _"I'm not a part of the special investigation unit. Tell Lal that if she wants an Arcobaleno patrolling so bad she can contact Collonello. Last I heard he's doing nothing important. I already have my hands full."_

Surprise flashes through the woman's face. _"Busy? With what, Iemitsu's child? Surely he's not so important you won't –"_ Bianchi stops, searching Reborn's face for something. _"Don't tell me you're still hung up on that. Reborn, it was the fool's own choice to bring himself to ruin. There is no absolution to be gained or found."_

Tsuna frowns. Is this about his father again? He's honestly tiring of all the ghosts his dad's left behind. Why is it that everyone else's life but _his_ is impacted by the man's passing?

Reborn snorts. _"That's not it. The kid will be useful. The faster I bring out his potential the sooner I'll be towards understanding what makes Paragons tick. Just consider it a side project of mine."_ The man tilts the brim of his hat to cover more of his face. _"I hardly think you need to worry about _my_ mental health, Bianchi. I know you're still looking for your brother. Isn't it about time you let that go too?"_

Bianchi's lips press into a thin line, and she twirls away in a dramatic flare of her red hair. _"Hmph. Be that way then. Lal will send one of her lackeys after you soon enough." _

The woman departs, and there is a long strained silence.

"That was really low." Lambo comments. "What's gotten into you lately anyways? You're more prickly than usual, and that's saying something with that stick so far up your ass – oW! OW! Stop shooting me!"

Reborn has, at least, stopped aiming for Tsuna, so he takes the chance to cautiously approach the man. Lambo immediately dives behind him, sniffling. "What was that about?" Tsuna asks. "What's Vendicare?"

Reborn looks at Tsuna. "Vendicare is a penitentiary for dangerous criminals. It's located on the mainland. _You _needn't worry about it." The man cocks his rubber bullet filled rifle at Tsuna again. "Now _move_. I have some beef to carve."

Lambo ends up joining Tsuna in his mad dash against pain. They are both bruised like months old bananas by the time the sun sets.

* * *

Tsuna's cat – who still needs a name – has been moody lately.

"Get away from the window. It's storming really badly outside." Tsuna warns the feline. It flicks an ear his way, but doesn't move, face firmly set to watch the lightning filled skies. It doesn't even flinch when the thunder rolls loudly enough to make the windows rattle.

Tsuna sighs. If his cat wants to brood like a teenager in the throes of puberty, it can have fun by itself. _He_ has the day off of work and Reborn both. It's a strange but not unwelcome reprieve, and he doesn't mean to waste it thinking about the gloom and doom of everyone around him.

Iemitsu's tenth death anniversary is just around the corner.

Tsuna rolls over on his couch, smothering his face into the plush cushions. He should call his mom soon. This is the first year he's been away for the annual memorial service.

The whole building creaks. Tsuna's cat starts to hiss.

The depressing atmosphere is starting to get to him too. Tsuna pulls himself upright and looks at the cat again. It hasn't stopped hissing, its eyes fixated on something on the street outside the window.

"Did you find something?" Tsuna asks it.

The cat actually turns around to stare at him. Tsuna wonders if he's odd for thinking his cat understands him. He's heard about pet-owner empathy but the way his cat looks at him sometimes – well. It leaps from the window and prances over to sit on Tsuna's lap. The cat yowls at him.

"What?" Tsuna hesitantly pets it.

The cat pushes its head under Tsuna's hand for a moment before shaking itself. It glares at him as though saying, "You can't distract me _that_ easily." Another yowl. Then it starts pulling on Tsuna's sleeve.

"Are you hungry?" Lunch was maybe an hour ago. "You'll get fat if you eat like this."

It looks so exasperated. It must be tough, not having a voice. The cat pulls on Tsuna's sleeve more insistently. It's towards the window.

As soon as Tsuna's gaze flicks towards the glass, the cat gets up, making its way back to its seat. It looks Tsuna in the eyes, gaze meaningful. Sighing, Tsuna gets up to join it.

"Just what's got your atte – eh?" Tsuna squints out the rain smudged glass. There's someone outside. It's hard to make out the details but the figure is laying on the ground, unmoving.

Tsuna runs out before he realizes he's forgotten an umbrella.

* * *

Tsuna's reluctantly thankful for Reborn's training.

The person outside was a huge specimen of a man, heavy like a boulder, with one of the most terrifying looking faces Tsuna has ever seen. Tsuna takes comfort in the fact that he too is an illegal member of society. Not all people who look scary are actually so. Looks are deceiving. Also he couldn't have just left this poor guy out there. Neo Venice might have better plumbing than old Venice had but the threat of flooding is still very real.

Besides, for whatever reason, he's very. Calming. Tsuna gets the feeling of melancholy off the man, but nothing threatening.

It's not too long before the man begins to stir, though he remains looking deathly pale even in the warm lighting of Tsuna's living room. There's a gasp and the man shoots up, a hand coming up to cradle his head. _"Merda, who ran me over?"_

Tsuna can't help it. _"I'd ask the same, but the only wheeled transport around here are scooters."_ He laughs, holding out a cup of warmed water.

The man snaps his head around to stare, mouth slightly agape. He hesitates, hand reaching out cautiously to take the proffered mug. _"I – thank you."_

Tsuna has a good feeling about this one. _"How do you feel?"_ He asks, proud of how steady his Italian has been so far. Living in the area has done wonders for his vocabulary and grammar, though his accent is as atrocious as ever.

"_Terrible,"_ The man grimaces. _"But much better than… before. Thank you."_ He opens his mouth to say more, but pauses, staring at Tsuna instead. _"Not to be rude, but why are you helping me?"_

"_It's nearly December. You would have caught a cold."_ Tsuna answers. _"Also my cat wouldn't have left me alone if I left you."_ Speaking of, it's suspiciously absent. It'd kept Tsuna company right up until the man woke. _"Anyways, I'm Tsuna. This is my apartment, so feel free to relax until you feel better."_ His mom's always done the same, back in Japan. Tsuna would come back home to find some random person taking refuge on their couch – at least until Hibari would come and kick them out for being vagrant. The man had a radar for those things.

"…_Lancia."_ The man replies. He grimaces. _"I – I shouldn't stay here. It's not safe. If they find me…."_

A chill runs down Tsuna's spine. In somewhere like Neo Venice a statement like that could refer to mafia or authorities both. _"It's raining. No one's going to come after you at a time like this."_ Tsuna decides to say. Very neutral. _"Besides, my door lock is really secure."_ Top of the line, Dino said.

Lancia looks torn. _"I can't. Not when you've shown so much hospitality…."_ A beat. The man lifts his face and _sniffs_. He tenses. _"Rot…. A Grudge Monster?"_ He blinks at Tsuna, and then sniffs him.

Tsuna blinks. Did this guy just tell him he stunk?

"_No, not you…. Tsuna, right? It's dangerous here. We should move."_ Lancia warns, already moving to get up from the couch. Hands hesitantly come down on Tsuna's shoulders lightly. Delicately. As though the man is afraid of Tsuna shattering under his touch.

The scenario feels similar somehow. _"Uh,"_ Tsuna says eloquently. _"If you smell anything funny, it might be my cat."_ Yamamoto did that too, at one point. Tsuna still has no idea what the man is smelling. His refrigerator is freshly stocked and trash taken out. Nothing's rotting anywhere. _"It's been a month, but it used to be a stray. Might have picked something up."_ Speaking of, Tsuna should have taken it to a vet _weeks _ago.

Lancia shakes his head slowly. _"No. It's too recent. There's something _in here_. Come on. There may be someone I can leave you with. I shouldn't be here either. _They_ might come after you."_

Darn it, the mood's really getting to him. Tsuna shudders a bit and nods. _"Okay. Let me just go get my cat and an umbrella."_

* * *

"… _Your cat really does smell like one."_ Lancia is forced to admit at length, still leading Tsuna down one of Neo Venice's many small alleyways.

Tsuna realizes too late that perhaps this is the kind of scenario that leads to kidnapping and black market organ farming. Lancia just doesn't have that kind of aura to him. It's strange. _"Yeah… I think a friend of mine said that before too." _

Lancia's eyes narrow at Tsuna. _"…I see."_ He sighs. _"I'm sorry for forcing you from your home like this. I honestly meant you no harm." _The man looks rather miserable. He's surprisingly sensitive.

"_It's fine! You really only had my best interests in mind!"_ Much better than at least ninety percent of Tsuna's _other_ acquaintances. Honestly. _"Should we head back?"_

Lancia nods. _"It's best we part here anyways. It will be less incriminating than should I be caught near your home."_ The man grimaces.

Tsuna frowns. _"… I don't mean to pry, but Signor Lancia, who are you running from?"_ The man is genuinely good hearted. Tsuna doesn't feel comfortable with letting the man go if it means he'll suffer some terrible fate. It's not right.

"_Vendicare."_ Lancia flicks his eyes to Tsuna, searching for a reaction. _"I'm… an escaped prisoner."_ He offers when Tsuna fails to react.

And then Tsuna remembers. The one that lady, Bianchi had talked about. But to have people like Reborn and the special investigation unit after him…. _"Are you… a Grudge Monster?"_

The man flinches. Tsuna feels terrible for asking. _"Yes. I am. I'm surprised you know what they are, Tsuna. Perhaps you're more than you seem?"_

Oh. Tsuna shakes his head hastily. _"No! I'm just… a person. My friends happen to uh. Work in a related field."_

"_I see."_ Lancia says, voice soft. Then, _"I'm sorry, Tsuna. This is a horrible way to pay you back after all you've done but… I can't afford to be caught yet."_

Tsuna blinks, looking up at the man. What?

A large hand comes down on his head. _"I'm sorry."_

The world slips sideways.


	4. Chapter 4

"_You're a foolish man, Lancia. Why would I return when I have just escaped? Take your gift. It's my thanks for being _such_ a good tool." _

Tsuna's head hurts. Why is everything so dark?

"_Mukuro, we must atone! All those lives lost. Have you no conscience left?"_ It's Lancia's voice. Tsuna is surprised to note how loud it is. The man was so soft spoken before.

Before….

"_Kufufu…. Kuhahahahaha! A conscience! Those, I left behind. With _them_!" _The other voice bites, snarling. _"What they took I will return a hundredfold! This whole world _will burn_. _I _am not the one to atone. They are. If death will not return what is mine, I will give it more than it can handle."_

The guy sounds nuts. It distracts Tsuna. Why is he here? What this furry thing under his ha – oh. Cat. Tsuna open his eyes blearily. His cat's green gray eyes almost glow in the dim setting. No. They're actually glowing. Huh. It squeezes underneath Tsuna's arms and places a paw on Tsuna's cheek.

Tsuna huffs a laugh. His cat is so _human_ sometimes.

"_Oh? It looks like our guest is awake."_ The voice notes.

Tsuna freezes. His bad mojo meter is going off the charts. Hesitantly he raises his eyes to look around. They're in a run down looking building, with ridiculous red drapes spilled around everywhere. He's lying down on one of them.

Four others are in the room with him, Lancia, another man, and then two children. Children? Yes. They're children, anywhere from five to ten in age. The two sit, slumped despondently on the ground. The unknown man sits on the only furniture in the room, a plush couch eaten through by moths.

A single red eye stares Tsuna down with contempt. _"Pitiful human."_ The man says. It's the voice. _"I can smell the death coming off you in plumes. You are not long for this world." _He says. _"And your pet…. Kufu."_ He giggles, eye narrowing. _"Stupid thing. Have you degraded so far that you no longer have any pride?"_

Tsuna's cat hisses, a growl deep in its throat. It stands in front of Tsuna, but doesn't move beyond that.

"_Attached. I see." _The man snorts. _"Fool. The man practically invites his own reaper into his home. Do you really think you can prevent that?" _

This man… is talking to Tsuna's cat, not Tsuna. Okay.

"_Tsuna…. I'm so sorry."_ Lancia turns towards Tsuna, face crumpled with distress. He stays where stands, half kneeled at the red eyed man's feet.

"_Is this… what you had to do?"_ Tsuna asks.

Lancia nods minutely, grimacing.

Tsuna sighs. Another "do first, ask later." He needs to hold a lecture on this kind of thing. Forget Grudge Monsters. This is the true Neo Venetian curse here.

Tsuna pulls himself off the ground, surprised to see he hasn't been hogtied or staked to a pole or cross or something. It's the mood.

It's the mood.

Right. So now what. Tsuna doesn't suppose these guys will let him go home. _"So, uh, what are your names?"_ Tsuna starts. _"I'm Tsuna." _

The unknown man blinks. Then falls back in laughter. _"Oh, an interesting one you have picked up, Lancia!"_ The laughter fades into chuckles and eventually the man says, _"I am Mukuro Rokudo. These two," _The man's voice turns soft. Kind almost. _"Are Chikusa Kakimoto and Ken Joshima."_ He then turns to Tsuna, interest gleaming in his mismatched eyes. _" Tell me your full name, Tsuna, so I may provide the epitaph for your grave."_

Yikes. Morbid isn't he. Tsuna swallows thickly. _"Sawada. I'm Sawa – er, Tsunayoshi Sawada."_ Westerners and their darn reversed names. It gets awfully confusing.

"Oh? Japanese?" The man asks, switching languages.

Tsuna blinks. "You speak Japanese?" Maybe there's a lot of Japanese immigrants here? Though that said, Rokudo Mukuro. Strange name for an Italian person. For anyone.

"Hmm," The man, Mukuro, hums. "Surname Sawada, huh? I see. Very interesting indeed."

Lancia looks as lost as Tsuna feels. For different reasons.

* * *

For prison escapees, Mukuro and the others are very… unexciting.

Tsuna doesn't know where they are exactly, but somewhere as run down and creepy as this? He'd think this is the kind of place people would check _first_. And yet nothing continues to happen.

The two children, Ken and Chikusa, don't move. Tsuna can't be sure if they're even breathing.

"Uh, Mukuro? What are you guys going to do…?" Tsuna asks at last, unable to keep to himself any longer. Lancia keeps edging away if Tsuna tries to approach, and Mukuro says nothing, absentmindedly petting the child bodied convicts like dear pets. It's. It's creepy.

"For now? Nothing. None will find us here. Eventually we will make our move, but not yet." Mukuro grins unsettlingly at Tsuna. "Perhaps I will kill you. Yes. I have no doubt a Grudge Monster of your type will be magnificent. Too dull for a tool, unfortunately." The man sighs. "A shame. I may have wanted to keep you."

Tsuna contains a squawk. People really need to stop talking like he's dead!

Tsuna's cat hisses at Mukuro.

The man laughs. "And you think you can protect your human?" He raises a hand, a soft indigo flame arising from the tips of his fingers and spreading out horizontally like a kitsunebi. The flames disappear to expose the long handle of a trident staff, and suddenly Tsuna is thrown into the air.

"Gyahh!" Tsuna shrieks. There are – there are. Vines? Yes, vines twining around his wrists, his abdomen, his legs. Vines that lead to strange, large pink flowers and wide brimmed leaves.

Tsuna's cat yowls, fur standing at end. It attacks the vines, red flames catching where it scratches, but to no end. The vines simply regrow and multiply.

This is too much. "Hey! Let me go!" Tsuna demands. Logic has flown out the window. There are tentacle plants, and his cat burns things with its _claws_. _No_. "Mukuro – !"

The vines disappear, shattering into indigo-purple particles, and Tsuna crashes into the ground, groaning. He lies on the floor, face pressed into the scarlet drape under him. He's really not ready to try and process what the heck happened.

The decision is taken out of his hands. _"Tsuna!"_ Lancia cries, large hands gently scooping him up and turning him on his back. _"Tsuna, are you alright?"_ The man asks, frantic.

Well, at least he's talking to Tsuna again. _"Fine. Just please tell me I was hallucinating?"_

Lancia blinks, and then lets out a reluctant chuckle. _"Unfortunately, no."_

Tsuna sighs dramatically. Ah. A no go then. "Ugh."

Wait. This isn't a Grudge Monster thing. The ones that have strange powers – "You're a Paragon." Tsuna says, turning to look at Mukuro.

"Of a sort." Mukuro agrees. "Does that change anything?"

Tsuna thinks. "No." And thinks more. "… Maybe. What do you mean to do?" Tsuna asks again.

Mukuro considers Tsuna's statement seriously. And then spouts, "World domination."

A beat of silence.

"Excuse me?" Tsuna coughs.

Mukuro smiles indulgently. "What better seat to watch the world burn than from the very top? I hate this world full of disgusting humans, Sawada Tsunayoshi." This man is having way too much fun with Tsuna's full name. "Better it burn than continue to exist. And then maybe perhaps my wish may be fulfilled."

A Paragon's wish? "What did you wish for, Mukuro?" Tsuna asks. The only thing that made sense from the man's insane spcheal.

Mukuro's smile turns brittle. "I wonder? Some days, I cannot remember at all."

It's a lie. Tsuna lets it go.

* * *

Two days. Tsuna hasn't eaten in two days.

It's hard to tell the passage of time in the dark enclosed space, except for Tsuna's watch, which still keeps time. Lancia gets Tsuna water, but food is more difficult to acquire apparently. Or Mukuro means to starve Tsuna to death. Whichever.

Tsuna's cat hasn't tried to threaten Mukuro since the first time, and Mukuro's friends haven't moved the entire time Tsuna's seen them. It's frightening. It's as though they're empty, Mukuro simply lugging around their bodies for his own comfort.

Perhaps they are.

Tsuna attempts to walk out once. It's not Mukuro who stops him, but Lancia.

It's often silent but for Tsuna's breathing and the cat's occasional growls and hissing. Lancia comes and goes, but Mukuro doesn't move from his seat, the couch a sort of throne.

It's sometime in the afternoon, Tsuna thinks, when Lancia returns, but this time with a boy in tow.

There is something wrong with the child, fair-haired, long scarf pulled around his neck, and large tome held tightly in his hands. His eyes almost look to twinkle, strange patterns swirling in their depths. The boy is mumbling, gaze fixated on nothing in particular.

"_Lancia. The Strongest Man in Italy."_ The boy says, smiling absently. "_Ranking second out of 86,200 members of the mafia in creepiness factor…." _

Tsuna tries not to laugh. His breath catches in his throat instead and he ends up coughing.

Lancia looks pained. _"Fuuta de la Stella. The Ranking Prince. We should move now, Mukuro. Leave Tsuna behind." _

Tsuna's gaze sharpens. _"What do you mean to do with this kid?"_

The boy, Fuuta? Hasn't acknowledged the occupants in the room outside of his last statement about Lancia.

Mukuro laughs. _"Very good, Lancia. But you know we can't do that. He will be used as a distraction as planned." _The trident appears in Mukuro's hands again, the butt hitting the ground with a dull _thunk_. The man gets off his throne, leaning on it lazily.

Lancia frowns, the most aggressive he's been towards Mukuro as so far Tsuna's seen. _"You agreed to let him go."_

Mukuro smiles. _"Never _alive_."_

"Mukuro, what are you going to do with Fuuta?" Tsuna cuts in on their staring match. Conversation about his death _later_. Mukuro is kidnapping a _child_. Illegal member of society or not this goes against Tsuna's morals even more than everything else that's transpired. The two children slumped by the couch are more than enough warning to the dangers of children left to Mukuro's tender mercies.

"This is Ranking Fuuta. He holds a wealth of knowledge, from the smallest speck of dirt to the largest star, the boy will rank them all in any category you ask of him." Mukuro explains, grin widening. "In the mafia, knowledge is power. This boy died many years ago, Sawada Tsunayoshi. You needn't worry for him." He giggles. "A Paragon, whose only wish was to know _everything_. No stabilizing ring means he can rank forever without hindrance. It's impossible to know and rank all when all is infinite. He will never fade, but his humanity died years ago."

Tsuna turns to look at Fuuta again, the new knowledge leaving him stricken. Another examination reveals what Tsuna hadn't noticed before. The boy's eyes are vacant other than the strange patterns swirling along the iris, his face largely slack with hollowed cheeks, unnatural in a young child's build. There really is nothing left except for the boy's body – sprit? – and his powers.

It occurs to Tsuna that this is why the others consider a decayed Grudge Monster or Paragon not worth saving. There really isn't… anything left. Death may be the kinder option.

Tsuna's cat yowls, and Tsuna looks up, realizing how close Mukuro has approached. The man holds his trident loosely in one hand, the butt end dragging on the wooden floor. Lancia is frozen at the other end of the room, Ranking Fuuta still hung loosely in his arms.

"I won't lie when I say I have truly enjoyed our conversations, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Do you have any parting words? A request perhaps?" Mukuro smiles, voice almost kind.

Before Tsuna can utter a word, another's cuts in. "I do. _Die_."

A shot rings through the air, followed immediately by the metallic sound of ricochet.

Tsuna gapes. Mukuro just blocked a _bullet_ with his _staff_.

Though perhaps that detail is less pressing. Reborn stands in the doorway, gun held out, with Yamamoto and Ryohei standing behind him, glowing in their full Grudge Monster and Paragon glory.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto cries, immediately making to move towards him.

Mukuro twirls his staff and slams the butt against the floor, a stream of fire bursting from the ground in columns before him. They stop Yamamoto in his tracks, sending the man hastily retreating to prevent being burned. "Ah, the cavalry. I wondered when they would show. Here to retrieve Ranking Fuuta?" Mukuro glances at Tsuna and adds, "Or Sawada Tsunayoshi?" The man turns to the two children still slumped by the couch. "Ken, Chikusa, it's time to play."

Tsuna stares Ken and Chikusa rise slowly from the ground, limbs limp as though hung on strings. As one they stand to attention, looking at Mukuro. And then they _relax_, slumping slightly, though this time, not despondent. The blond haired child slouches, the stance of a rebellious child or gangster. The other boy pushes up his glasses, pose lax. They both smirk at Mukuro.

"_Okay, pyon!"_

"_As you wish." _

And then they explode into action.

Immediately, Ken rushes at Yamamoto, slamming into the man and then _pushing him into the wall_. A cloud of dust goes up around them, obscuring further view.

Chikusa pulls out a pair of yoyos (?) and fling them at Ryohei and Reborn. Tsuna gapes as needles shoot out from the toys, targeting the two left standing.

Ryohei ducks, the needles stabbing neat rows into his forearm. Reborn simply jumps away.

"Onii-san!" Tsuna yelps. This is the first time he's seen the boy get hurt. He may be older than him in years but – his body –

"I'm extremely fine!" Ryohei shouts back. He bounces childishly and shrugs off the injury. "Get out of there, Sawada!"

"_Lancia, if you would please?"_ Mukuro commands.

Lancia nods, letting Fuuta drop gently to the floor. The man explodes into _red fire_ and draws a strange ball and chain monstrosity from the flames as Mukuro had for his trident. He doesn't hesitate to rush Reborn.

Leaving Mukuro free to finish what he was doing. Namely, killing Tsuna.

"Sorry, Sawada Tsunayoshi, but it appears we don't have time for pleasantries. Your Grudge Monster will serve me well." Mukuro says.

As if Tsuna's going to let the man kill him? "No thanks." Tsuna says, scrambling to his feet. His hunger is forgotten in a wave of adrenaline powered energy, and Tsuna ducks under Mukuro's trident. It seems Reborn's training actually came in handy.

Duck, duck, side step – Tsuna wheezes as the butt of Mukuro's trident rams into his stomach, winding him. He stumbles back, nearly tripping over Fuuta, still mumbling to himself with his book clutched in his arms.

"If you resist, you will only make this more painful, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Mukuro informs him. "Hold still." The trident rises into the air, aimed unerringly at Tsuna's chest.

Fuuta is behind him. If he dodges or moves out of the way –

"_Hayato Gokudera. Rank forty seventh of 86,201 in the mafia for – " _

A loud growl rends the air and the pungent scent of cigarettes invades Tsuna's nose.

"Oya? So you will perish for a dying man?" Mukuro laughs.

The Grudge Monster Tsuna met the first day he arrived in Neo Venice roars, its back to Tsuna, red tinged flames bleeding from its partially open mouth. Its green gray eyes flick to Tsuna before turning back to Mukuro. And Tsuna knows this monster.

"It's you." Tsuna breathes. Somewhat inappropriately he thinks, no wonder the cat didn't like cat food. And all the instant ramen wasn't killing it.

"Foolish creature," Mukuro chides. "The last vestiges of your humanity fade daily and your final conscious days are spent attaching yourself to a human? I will put you _out of your misery_."

The Grudge Monster growls, falling on its front paws, and charges Mukuro.

The two clash, the long handle of Mukuro's trident to sharp teeth. The force of Grudge Monster's charge sends them both careening across the room.

Tsuna blinks, still a little in shock about what just happened. Then Reborn shouts, "Tsuna!" from across the room and. Right. He needs to get out of here.

Tsuna turns to the only non combatant. Fuuta. He can't leave the kid here, dead for years, lacking humanity, or whatever notwithstanding. _"Fuuta? Fuuta we need to leave. Come on."_ Tsuna urges, awkwardly pulling the unresisting boy to his feet. The boy is but dead weight in Tsuna's arms, the only muscle tone in the arms clutching at his book.

"_Tsunayoshi Sawada. Ranked 86,202th out of 86,202 in the mafia for strength." _Fuuta reminds Tsuna cheerfully as Tsuna attempts to put the kid in some kind of bastardized fireman's carry. Tell him something he _doesn't_ know.

"_Tsunayoshi Sawada. Ranked 86,202th out of 86,202 in the mafia for intellect."_

Tsuna sighs. He can reflect on his rock bottom self esteem later. As it is, his attention is largely divided between avoiding the flying debris from the various battles – it's all monsters against monsters, and the collateral damage is… amazing, frankly. Tsuna squeaks and hastily ducks under a chunk of airborne wall and plaster. Out, out, out – why is it that the more he moves, the further the exit seems to get?

"You cannot escape so easily, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna just about shrieks, whirling around to find Mukuro behind him, trident braced like a spear. Tsuna trips over a loose plank of floor, falling on his backside as the sharp edge of Mukuro's weapon flies overhead. Fuuta spills from his arms, momentarily startled from his constant rankings, but seemingly unhurt.

The Grudge Monster born from Tsuna's cat is slumped on the ground, flames from its mouth smothered to smoke and sparks. There is no visible wound to be seen from its back, the only side visible from Tsuna's position.

Tsuna blanches.

"You should worry about yourself first, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Mukuro advises. He stalks slowly towards Tsuna, weapon in hand. "Do not resist."

Tsuna looks around the room. Yamamoto rises from a crater in one of the walls, wings drooping and leaning heavily on his sword. Ken doesn't look any better for the wear, bright yellow oozing from wounds over his small body.

Ryohei, covered in needles slumps over a piece of debris, unsteady arms pulling him up. Chikusa doesn't move, down on the ground, tangled in a mess of his own yoyos.

Lancia bleeds red flames, pulling his weapon towards him with a tug of the metal chain.

And Reborn doesn't even look at his opponent, eyes locked on Tsuna.

The man smirks, holding his garish green handgun aimed not at Lancia or Mukuro, but on _him_.

"I see you won't even face your executioner as you die. Disappointing. Goodbye, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

The gun goes off.

As Tsuna turns to face Mukuro again, the surprising thought is: "I don't want to lose against this guy."

* * *

Mukuro's trident bounces off, sending him skidding backwards from the force. The man. Reborn. He just shot Sawada Tsunayoshi. Considering the man's history, the probability of it having been a Dying Will bullet is high. Either way, Mukuro's goal is accomplished. Partly. He has yet to bring Sawada Tsunayoshi's monster under his control, but no matter.

The Arcobaleno is foolish to think he can survive the battle with a rampaging Grudge Monster in their midst.

Mukuro knows his limits. He will take his one hit against Sawada Tsunayoshi and take Ken and Chikusa. There is nothing to be gained by dragging this confrontation on longer than it has already.

Sawada Tsunayoshi's Grudge Monster rises from its crouched position on the floor. Mukuro tenses. It's humanoid, but whatever form means little amongst monsters. A black cape flows from its shoulders, flames lining the collar and bottom edges like fur trimming. A fire lights on the monster's forehead, but the most striking of Sawada Tsunayoshi's features aren't the garish flames.

It's his eyes.

Clear, un-muddled with the madness of the monster he should be, Sawada Tsunayoshi stares Mukuro down, resolve burning in brightly glowing eyes – and it's then that Mukuro realizes this isn't a Grudge Monster.

It's a Paragon.

In a dark situation like this, with his allies all but beaten, starved, about to be _murdered_, and the man becomes a _Paragon_.

He can't help it. He laughs. "Kufufufufu…. Kuhahahahahahaha!" Mukuro tosses his head back, indulging in Sawada Tsunayoshi's foolishness. "Truly you are _fascinating_, Sawada Tsunayoshi!" Mukuro crows. This is simply beyond his expectation! But ah, what a chance! What an unexpected gift! "But, this stunt of yours will not _save you._" He readies his trident, cursed eye flickering to the number _one_.

Paragons leave their bodies behind when they die. It is no different for those born of Dying Will bullets.

Throwing an illusion of an attack at the Paragon, Mukuro dashes for the body of Sawada Tsunayoshi crumpled on the ground. Just a nick of the trident's edge will do, but why stop there when he can kill the man in one go?

And inexplicably he finds himself clashing against an immovable force, sending his body flying. It's the Paragon, flame covered hands cooling to show the red orange metal gauntlets used to block Mukuro's attack.

Mukuro grimaces. It's _fast_.

"Mukuro," The Paragon speaks, voice echoing in the suddenly silent room, "Until I defeat you, I can't die even if I wish it!"

Bold words for one about to fade. "You simply spell your own doom!"

* * *

Tsuna moves with _certainty_. Not a single stray thought crosses his mind, thoughts clear but for his goal.

Defeat Mukuro.

His body is lighter, faster. _Stronger_. The culmination of his dying wish, his last purpose filling his body with the ability to fight. To _win_.

Nothing else matters.

Tsuna can hear the commotion of the others in the room, returning to their battles after the distraction of Tsuna's own. The thought stops at the observation of sensory perception.

Tsuna clenches his fists. Defeat Mukuro. He grabs a hold of Mukuro's staff before it can hit him, super heating the metal and bending, twisting the straight bar into a right angle. The man gasps and pulls away, shuffling back out of Tsuna's reach.

Mukuro grips the right side of his face, hand dyeing indigo, and a single red eye gleams between the man's fingers reading the number _five_.

The man charges Tsuna again, aura darkened, and somehow stronger. The illusion of flame pillars and the ground crumbling beneath Tsuna's feet are easily ignored, sensory data and nothing more. A fist draws back and impacts against Mukuro's face, sending the man careening into a wall.

As the dust settles, Tsuna can see the man crumpled against the ruined wall. The man coughs. There is blood.

Tsuna stops. Paragons and Grudge Monsters do not expel blood with injuries. Just the strange flames that seem to be what holds their form together. And yet.

"Surprised?" Mukuro pulls himself to his feet, stance wavering. "I am not yet dead. A human, implanted with powers of Grudge Monsters and Paragons alike, with all the memories of past _lives_ suffered." The man grins, teeth bloody. "An experiment. Just like Ken and Chikusa here. They suffered with me, but _died_. No stabilizing rings, they withered away until they became the puppets you see now." Mukuro glares, holding his trident in front of him again, battle ready. "I hold _grudges_ as well as any monster. _I will not lose._"

His single-minded resolution broken, Tsuna staggers, blocking the trident, only to be pushed back with the handle. Mukuro advances, pushing his advantage against Tsuna's reluctance to fight a human opponent. Strong though the man may be, the body is fragile. Tsuna cannot – he can't fight someone when he can just as well _kill_ the man accidentally as well as purposefully.

"What is this? Have you lost the will to fight, Sawada Tsunayoshi? Where has that resolve gone? Where is your _will_?" Mukuro taunts. The man forces a retreat out of Tsuna, one step at a time. He cannot do this forever.

"Idiot-Tsuna!" Reborn's voice cuts through Tsuna's mind like a knife. "What was your regret? When the bullet hit you, _what was your answer_?"

That's right. Defeat Mukuro. It doesn't have to be through pure strength. That dark aura. He just needs to purify it. Remove the Grudge Monster influence and the pressure on the mind will ease. Humanity will return.

So resolved, Tsuna moves in for his attack. His flames thrust him through the air, faster than human vision. It's a simple matter to slip behind Mukuro. As the man turns in surprise, Tsuna grabs a hold of the man's head with one hand. And with his flames, he _pushes_.

The dark aura, the _grudge_ fueling Mukuro fades. It's done. He's defeated Mukuro.

Defeated…?

Tsuna's flame fizzles out. The five minutes are over.

He collapses.

* * *

"Great job, Tsuna! I knew you could do it!"

It's a strangely familiar voice. Tsuna doesn't know how to place it, but he imagines a shady figure, muscular arms, and the sensation of something rough rubbing against the skin of his cheek.

He thinks he hears his mom, her laughter brighter than it has ever been the last ten years.

"One of these days, you'll grow as big and strong as me! Bigger even!"

He's lifted into the air. It's terrifying, being so high up, his feet meters from the ground. But the warm arms encircling him promise protection. His mom's laughter tinkles somewhere nearby.

It's safe, Tsuna thinks. He's okay. He's with –

* * *

"Dad," Tsuna says aloud.

It takes a few moments for him to realize where he is. Soft intermittent beeps shatter his concentration and there's someone nearby, holding onto his hand tightly. Tsuna blinks his eyes to look at a drab white ceiling before turning his neck to see who is cutting off the circulation in his right hand.

"_Tsunayoshi Sawada."_ Fuuta greets. _"Ranked first out of 86,202 in the mafia for kindness." _

Tsuna breathes out a sigh. So the boy isn't truly there then. And yet.

"_Hello, Fuuta. How long have you been here?"_ Tsuna asks, throat protesting the use. He feels like he's swallowed a rock, the walls of his airway irritated and dry.

Fuuta blinks. It's then that Tsuna realizes that the strange patterns in the boy's eyes have disappeared, leaving them a warm brown. They stare at Tsuna's face with purpose, but hold no particular emotion.

"_Tsunayoshi Sawada._ _Ranked first out of 86,202 in the mafia for kindness." _The boy repeats, as though unaware he's said that already. No answer for Tsuna's question is forthcoming.

"He won't say anything else. I suggest you leave it." Another voice interjects. Tsuna looks up to see a white coated man saunter into the room, a clipboard in hand. "I'm Dr. Shamal. You should be thankful I owed Dino a favor. Men aren't my preferred choice of patient." The doctor says, tone bored. "It just happens to be that not many are knowledgeable enough in Grudge Monsters and Paragons to treat cases like you."

The man gives Tsuna a moment to take that in. Tsuna hesitates before blurting, "Am I dead?" He flushes when Dr. Shamal simply raises an eyebrow at him. "I mean, am I a Grudge Monster or a Paragon now or – "

"You would know if you were." Dr. Shamal deadpans. "So no, you're not. You were close as hell to fading away though. I don't know what Reborn was _thinking_ shooting you with a Dying Will bullet in that kind of situation. I suppose no one expected a Paragon to come out of you." The man eyes Tsuna, frowning with real concern. "You weren't supposed to do that, you know. Even Reborn was surprised you became a Paragon."

Tsuna blinks, uncertain what to make of that.

"Anyways, you've got a clean bill of health. We'll need to do a mental screening on you to make sure you haven't _lost_ anything, putting a foot into your grave like that, but otherwise you're good. Any questions?" Dr. Shamal putters around, squinting at the many monitors surrounding Tsuna's bed, nodding to himself. The man hardly looks at Tsuna all the while.

First thing. "How is… everyone else? Are they all okay?" Tsuna asks. A note of anxiety creeps into his voice. "They were really beat up and oh! My cat! Is he okay too?"

Dr. Shamal stares at Tsuna. "They're all fine. Your cat. Uh." The man pauses. "I'm a physician, not a vet." The man gives Tsuna a very strange look. "If you really want to know, it's probably with Reborn or something. Are you sure it's yours? It's practically feral." The man grouches, surreptitiously rubbing at a long red gash across the top of his hand.

Somehow the idea that his cat is well enough to attack people reassures Tsuna. Grudge Monster or not, he's bonded with his dinner stealer. Hopefully Reborn hasn't eaten it alive or something.

And then there's…. Tsuna looks at Fuuta, still repeating the one sentence. "Uh, Dr. Shamal?" Tsuna asks.

The man, still worrying over his small injury, grunts. "Yeah, kid?"

That one gets a pout out of Tsuna before he can help it. He's twenty something. A man! "It's about Fuuta…." Tsuna starts, but the man cuts him off.

"The kid's in fine physical condition. Paragons don't need to eat or sleep like humans do." Shamal eyes Tsuna meaningfully. "I'm a physician, not a psychiatrist." The doctor turns away, heading for the door. "Besides, I think you've done more for him than anyone else ever could already. Don't worry about him."

The door shuts, leaving Tsuna with more questions than answers.

* * *

"_Chao – "_

"Where's my cat?" Tsuna interrupts.

Reborn huffs. "You're really worried about that thing? I left it with those police friends of yours."

Tsuna's blood runs cold.

And then Reborn continues with, "They don't know." The man gives Tsuna a significant look. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that it'll be more dangerous the longer you don't talk."

"It'll be okay." Tsuna says, resolute. He might be flimsy like a crinkled paper on lots of other issues, but this is one he's not willing to back down from. His cat isn't dangerous. It's his friend. There are other issues at the moment anyways. "Reborn, what's happened to Lancia and Mukuro and the others?"

Reborn hesitates, visibly surprised for the first time since Tsuna's seen him, and his words are measured as he answers Tsuna's question. Demand. "They will be handed back into Vendicare custody and locked up in a higher security cell. Everything has been handled alrea – "

"No," Tsuna says, gaze steady on Reborn. At the very least, Lancia doesn't deserve such a fate. There was something strange about the man, so reluctant to follow Mukuro and yet submissive in a way that had little to do with his dilapidated sense of agency. "It hasn't. I won't let it." It's… unfair. And possibly the worst thing to do to them after all this. "I need to talk to them. Reborn, where are they?"

Reborn frowns at Tsuna. It's about five seconds before Tsuna realizes what exactly he's said.

"Er, I mean." Tsuna pales. Oh man, patient or not, Reborn will _kill him_. It's just – for a moment he felt just as he had when he was shot with the Dying Will bullet, back during the fight. Nothing but his goal and the tools to achieve them. "I really need to speak with Mukuro and Lancia! Especially Lancia. He's a good guy. Really!" Tsuna pleads, already rising from the bed. The change in position temporarily makes him dizzy, the blood rushing from his head due to gravity.

Fuuta still hasn't let Tsuna's hand go.

It's probably that hesitation that gets Reborn to push Tsuna back into the hospital bed, hands firm against Tsuna's shoulders. "… Later, Tsuna. As it happens, you _do _have the right to ask one thing of the Vindice for assisting in the capture of Mukuro." Reborn scowls, displeasure evident. "But for now, we need to _talk_."

Tsuna blinks. "Uh, okay." Usually Reborn doesn't give him warning before he launches into Tsuna's physical torture regimen or lecture on his stupidity or both. This is new.

Tsuna definitely means to encourage it though.

"What were you thinking, when I shot that bullet at you?" Reborn asks, blunt and to the point.

It's not the kind of _talk_ Tsuna was expecting. "Uh, I was mostly panicking, I guess." Tsuna winces. He really _had_ been panicking. Everyone was hurt, his cat wasn't a cat, Fuuta was kind of really _creeping him out_ – yeah.

Reborn stays silent. So Tsuna adds, "And Mukuro! I – I don't know." He huffs. "He kept painting himself up like a villain character, making everyone fight, and… I just wanted to win. I didn't want to lose to Mukuro." Speaking like this, it sounds stupid. If Mukuro's the villain, what did that make Tsuna? The hero? The line of thought makes Tsuna flush.

"Most people would hate Mukuro." Reborn says, looking at a point just past Tsuna's shoulder.

Tsuna doesn't know what to say to that.

Then, "What were you thinking when I shot you the first time we met?" Reborn asks, voice soft. "Did you hate me then?"

Tsuna thinks. The first time was honestly the most traumatizing. Each subsequent transformation since was mostly borne on his annoyance at Reborn for making him do ridiculous and tiresome things but. That first time he…. "Dino-san and Basil-kun. I was thinking about them." Tsuna admits.

Reborn's eyebrows rise.

"Not like that!" Tsuna adds hastily. "Just, I thought I was really dying, you know? And that the police were killing me." (Reborn scowls at the implied association.) "And I just learned recently that they really didn't… like them. Because of what happened with Dad."

Tsuna stops talking.

"So you were angry that I would not hesitate to kill you, just as I had with Iemitsu." Reborn finishes, eyes far away.

Something like that. "Honestly, I wasn't thinking straight then either. I'm really bad under pressure." Tsuna admits, sheepish.

"_Tsunayoshi Sawada._ _Ranked first out of 86,202 in the mafia for kindness." _Fuuta says in the resulting silence.

Tsuna laughs helplessly. _"That's a little backwards considering our conversation." _He gently pats Fuuta's head, roughing up the boy's hair slightly. _"I'm curious, Fuuta. Why do you keep repeating that?"_

"Because that's the last ranking he'd taken before closing off his heart." Mukuro's voice spills from Fuuta's lips and Tsuna practically _screams_.

"Gyahh!" Tsuna's hand, still gripped tightly in Fuuta's, prevents him from moving too far away.

Reborn's gun is immediately pointed at Fuuta's head, the man looming over the boy.

Fuuta, still in Mukuro's voice, says, "I wouldn't shoot if I were you, Arcobaleno Reborn. This is still Ranking Fuuta's body after all, and all you would kill is this Paragon. _I_ am still safely ensconced in a jail cell."

Tsuna reaches over, hand covering the end of Reborn's gun when the man's aim doesn't waver. He shoots a disapproving look at the man, but Reborn's attention is only on Fuuta. Mukuro.

"What do you want, Mukuro?" Reborn asks, eyes hard. Tsuna rather hopes the man won't try and shoot through his hands to get at the other. It'd hurt. A lot.

"Kufufu," Mukuro giggles, looking _really strange_ in Fuuta's child body. "I was simply interested in Sawada Tsunayoshi's reasoning as well. You are a strange man, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tell me, what do you wish to speak with me for?"

It takes a moment for Tsuna to realize the man (boy?) is referring to his first statement to Reborn. "I wanted to know." Tsuna says. "What did you make Lancia-san do that he would have to _atone_?"

Mukuro blinks, surprised. "Oh? And why would you think I would have _made_ Lancia do anything?" The man's tone turns wry, "He is a mafia man, Sawada Tsunayoshi. There is little he _wouldn't_ have done that isn't worthy of needing _atonement_."

There's something to the twist of Fuuta's mouth that makes Tsuna irrationally angry. "He mentioned that the both of you needed to atone." Tsuna says, his mouth set. "And I've _seen _him. He's not happy following your orders, so why does he?"

Reborn's calculating gaze makes unnerves Tsuna.

Mukuro's eyes narrow. "What other reason than to keep you alive? You forget you were my _hostage_."

"Stop lying!" Tsuna demands. He can't – he can't think straight. He clutches the side of his head and stubbornly continues, "There's something keeping him from disobeying you." The hand still captured in Fuuta's squeezes painfully. "Is this… one of your powers?" Tsuna's not sure if he's referring to the pulse pounding between his ears or Lancia's obedience.

The headache disappears.

"Kufufu," Mukuro laughs, voice breathy. "You haven't died and _truly_ become a Paragon, have you, Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna quashes the panic down. Dr. Shamal said he wasn't. He'd know.

"One of my abilities." Mukuro admits. "Possession. Lancia's one of my oldest puppets, but not my only." (Tsuna's mind flashes to the children, Ken and Chikusa.) "I had him kill his Familigia and many others besides." Mukuro's heterochromatic eyes stare Tsuna down. "Does that suffice, Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"Mostly," Tsuna says. "And what about Fuuta?" His voice softens.

"What do you mean, he 'closed off his heart'?" Reborn asks, interrupting their conversation for the first time. "Fuuta de la Stella lost his humanity nearly fifty years ago. He doesn't have the will to do such a thing."

Mukuro laughs. "Oh, indeed! Tired of becoming the mafia's tool, he let his humanity go. He saw the true nature of the men who used him and decided it was better not to deal with the responsibility of his heart's weakness." The man says, his voice mocking. "And yet even so, he hasn't lost _all _of his humanity. It seems he simply locked part away." He says softly. "Maybe to come back the day he catalogues the impossible or perhaps," Mukuro eyes Tsuna meaningfully, "To wait the day he finds someone who defies his expectations. Goes against the grain and destroys the absolute in his data."

Can't the man say things more frankly? "So then what does it mean that he does this now…?" Tsuna asks. "Does this mean he'll come back? He'll find his humanity again?"

Mukuro shares a look – _a look_ – with Reborn.

"You're too stupid to be a student of mine." Reborn says, their elected spokesperson.

Tsuna feels insulted. "_What_? What did I say?"

Mukuro sighs. "Perhaps it was a fluke then that you defeated me." He sounds wistful. "Maybe you can shoot him again?" Mukuro says, eyes hopeful. "His Paragon may prove more intelligent."

Reborn scoffs. "Miracles only happen once."

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" Tsuna cries.

Mukuro shakes his head. "Nothing. I am done here. I'll see you again, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

And with those terrifying words, Fuuta slumps over, his eyes fading back into brown.

Tsuna still feels offended.

* * *

"Mukuro's gone!" Kyoko comes in to inform them, about an hour later.

Reborn huffs and Tsuna hides his face with his free hand. Of course.

* * *

/Solves Mukuro in one chapter. Good job me.


	5. Chapter 5

Tsuna goes home, Fuuta still in hand, his cat draped leisurely over his other arm. It feels heavier than usual. Kyoko and Ryohei apparently delighted in overfeeding the spoiled creature.

As soon as he walks in through the door, he feels a chill go up his spine. Tsuna grimaces. He knows this feeling. "Mukuro, are you in here?" Tsuna asks aloud, eyes straining into the darkness of his apartment. Where is his light switch?

"I'm right here, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Fuuta says, and Tsuna jumps. The cat spills out of his arms, yowling.

"M-Mukuro!" Tsuna yelps, "You're still – how long have you been _in there_ – "

Fuuta-Mukuro grins widely. "I just arrived. You're unexpectedly sensitive to my presence, Sawada Tsunayoshi." The boy raises an eyebrow at Tsuna's cat, who growls and hisses at him. "I see you're still alive. Don't worry, I have no interest in killing your anchor." Mukuro says unreassuringly.

Which reminds Tsuna. "Mukuro, what can I do about him? Or Fuuta? Is he deteriorating too?" he asks, crouching down to Fuuta's eye level. One of the boy's eyes is the same red of Mukuro's. It's terrifying.

Mukuro hums. "This Paragon is beyond anyone's reach. The merciful thing may be to destroy him."

"Definitely not!" Tsuna cries, hands clamping down on the boy's arms. The child feels incredibly fragile in his grip.

"Naïve," Mukuro mutters, "You're too naïve, Sawada Tsunayoshi. The world does not accommodate that kind of wishful thinking." He warns, "That cat of yours may survive for the time being, but even with an anchor like you, its mind will not stand for much longer."

Tsuna frowns. "Isn't there anything I can do?" He glances down at the cat, still bristled and puffed up at Mukuro. It doesn't look at him.

"I wonder," Mukuro shrugs. "The best you may do might be to find a stabilizing ring. But whether or not there is enough humanity left in it for it to be effective…." He looks pointedly at the cat. "The fact that it takes such a bestial form is proof enough that it doesn't have the cognitive function level of a human. If you place a stabilizer on it now, you will cripple it." Emotion bleeds into Mukuro's voice as he talks. "It might not even remember who it used to be, by this point. It's best you let it be, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"The children," Tsuna blurts. "They – "

"They were my companions," Mukuro replies curtly. "I respected their choices to let the rest of their consciousness fade." But he still can't truly let them go, if the way he carries their empty bodies around is any indication.

Tsuna feels for the man. Just a little bit.

He reaches down to scratch at his cat's ears, contemplative. "I guess I'll just have to leave it up to you, huh?" Tsuna asks his cat, petting it back into complacency. It reluctantly submits, glaring darkly at Fuuta-Mukuro.

This just leaves one last question. "Say, aren't you on the run from the police?" Tsuna asks Mukuro.

"I am," Mukuro says, unsettling cheer returning to his voice. "It's incredibly dull waiting for them to find me, you know? Please don't mind me. I just like to check in on interesting puppets."

Tsuna inches away.

* * *

His cat looks uneasy about their new housemate.

"It's fine, isn't it?" Tsuna chides, rubbing a finger between the cat's eyes. It starts purring, the issue with Fuuta just about dissipating with Tsuna's cat scratching technique. "Mukuro's not Fuuta, after all, and Fuuta's _Familiga _doesn't want him anymore." Tsuna frowns, unhappy about their statement. They didn't have to be so blunt about it.

Though speaking of Mukuro, there's something that has been bothering Tsuna. He eyes his cat thoughtfully. "Gokudera-kun." He tries, watching the cat's reaction.

The purring stops, green eyes opening to stare at Tsuna blearily.

It sounds right on Tsuna's tongue. Familiar somehow for never having said the word in his life. He's not entirely certain where the name comes from, but he has a feeling he's heard it very recently.

"It's who you used to be, isn't it?" Tsuna asks, voice quiet. "I don't understand much about it, but you're still you. You need a stabilizing ring, don't you? Are you going to be okay like this?"

The cat stares Tsuna down for a long moment. It turns its head, huffing. _How do you _think _I've been doing?_ It sounds like, to Tsuna, and he smiles. On reflex, Tsuna's hand reaches out to ruffle the cat's ears.

He grins. "Gokudera-kun then. I need to call you by _something_, you know?"

Gokudera huffs and pushes under Tsuna's hand to demand more scratching.

* * *

Dino shouts Tsuna down and then shouts some more at Reborn, clutching Tsuna like a ragdoll the entire time.

Basil declares Tsuna will never leave his sight.

Reborn's training becomes more brutal, somehow. Tsuna takes comfort in the fact that he can see some bicep forming and five minutes of running no longer winds him like an asthmatic.

Mukuro drops in with concerning frequency, always at the strangest and worst times.

Tsuna's life returns to some semblance of normalcy. Somewhat.

He still hasn't called his mother.

* * *

Tsuna very casually, very _nonchalantly_, asks, "Dino-san, the stabilizing rings for Grudge Monsters – do they have to be a certain kind of ring? Or will any ring do?"

Dino, busy balancing end of month budgets, makes a dismissive noise. "If any ring would do, we'd never find any of the Grudge Monsters." He waves a hand absently. At least three rings glint from the bright desk lamp to blind Tsuna's eyes. "Rings are a symbol in our world, Tsuna. There's hardly anyone who doesn't have one. Stabilizing rings are – wh. Romario bought how many packages of flou – oh. Right. That wasn't flour was it."

Tsuna, remembering packets of powder in suspicious baggies, tightens his lips. Not thinking about illegal mafia activity. Not thinking about illegal mafia drug trades. Nope. Not at all.

"The stabilizing rings are…?" Tsuna repeats, hoping to get his boss back on track. And not talking aloud about the illegal things Tsuna really should be reporting to the police.

(Though – honestly – Tsuna doubts telling any of the local police would incite anything. They'd probably laugh at him and then gut him with a knife for breaking Omertà. Or something.)

"Right," Dino says, head still buried in papers. "Stabilizing rings come from specific ores. No one's really sure exactly _what_ kind, because Vendicare keeps a tight reign on information about it, but the purer it is, the more flexible it is. And that, uh." The man leans further into his desk, nose almost touching the documents in front of him. "There's no way that's right. We don't even allocate that much money for bribes – "

Tsuna decides perhaps this is good enough. "Right. Thanks, Dino-san. You look pretty busy so I'll just leave you to it. Bye – " He says in the space of a breath, and rushes out.

He immediately runs into Basil, who upends a whole pot of coffee over both of them.

"Uwaah!" Tsuna yells preemptively, and then realizes. "It's not hot?" He stares stupidly at his brown stained button up and sweater. It definitely smells like coffee.

"It was a pot from earlier this afternoon." Basil explains, ineffectually wiping at Tsuna's face with a soaked handkerchief. "I'm so sorry, Sawada-dono! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Tsuna reassures, waving away the other man. He shivers. "Just cold." It's going to be an adventure trying to get home like this. "Sorry for running into you."

Basil smiles shakily. "Nay, it was my fault for not looking where I was going." The man hesitates, and then adds in a smaller voice. "Sawada-dono, why were you asking Dino-dono about stabilizing rings?"

Tsuna freezes. Ah. He was caught. "Uh, well I was. Curious." Tsuna stutters. "Most everyone wears a ring around here, so – " He peters off, uncertain how to finish his sentence without mentioning the police or Reborn.

"You can't tell if someone is a Grudge Monster that way, Sawada-dono." Basil says, strangely relieved. "It would make our lives much easier, no doubt." He adds, smile wry.

"Yeah." Tsuna agrees. "It would, wouldn't it."

(A bright blue ring glints on Basil's own finger. It reminds Tsuna of Yamamoto's. It's a similar shade.)

* * *

Reborn stops him before he can make it into the meeting room.

"Tsuna," The man says, uncharacteristically serious, "The Vindice are Mafia. Don't take anything they say at face value. Don't agree to anything _they_ offer _you_."

Tsuna swallows thickly. "Uh, yeah. Okay." He's just here to ask them to not incarcerate Lancia. After he gets that out, he's running for the hills.

As the doors open, something warm and heavy drops into Tsuna's hand. He looks up, startled, but Reborn has already turned away. He's pushed forward, and the doors close behind Tsuna with a loud boom.

The meeting room has no windows. Only a spotlight in the center of the room provides light. It feels like some kind of interrogation room. Tsuna shudders.

"Uh, hello?" He calls into the darkness, shuffling cautiously towards the light source. The spotlight is so bright as to obscure the rest of the room and. What is up with these Mafia people and their terrible design sense?

A metallic jingle of rattling chains echoes out from beyond the middle of the room.

Tsuna freezes.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," A ghastly voice calls, as a giant mummy of a person steps into the light in front of Tsuna. A smaller figure joins them, just as mummified, both wearing black hats and coats. Chains wrap around them both.

They're ghosts. They have to be ghosts. Tsuna's palms sweat, slicking the metal object in his right hand. He never got a chance to look at what Reborn slipped him, actually. It feels cylindrical, with a tapered tip and flat botto – it's a bullet.

Tsuna nearly drops it then and there. A bullet? What is he supposed to do with that? He doesn't have a gun to shoot with – something squirms in his pants pocket. He doesn't want to know.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," The voice calls again. It's the smaller figure. "A Sawada, huh?" They say in Japanese. They glide forward – _glide forward_ – moving in uncomfortably close to look up at Tsuna's face with bandage covered eyes. Tsuna's assuming there are eyes, by this point. These Vendice don't seem human. "Sawada Iemitsu's child?"

"T-that's me," Tsuna squeaks out, internally cursing his father. Why do these people know his dad? Why couldn't his dad be a normal person? "Whatever my dad did, I'm sorry." Tsuna says preemptively, unwilling to incur the wrath of vengeful ghosts.

The ghost mummy hesitates, taking a step back, before bursting out into laughter. The giant behind them rumbles out something Tsuna assumes is also. Laughter.

They stop abruptly in perfect sync. The silence stretches.

"Uhm," Tsuna tries, "I wanted to ask a f-favor…?" His voice rises involuntarily. Darn it.

Silence.

Shuffling awkwardly at the lack of response, Tsuna continues, "It's about Lancia, uh." Does Lancia have a last name? Tsuna doesn't know. "He, uh, escaped with Rokudo Mukuro recently?" Tsuna adds, hoping it'll help identify the man. "You need to let him go. He's done nothing wrong. It was all Mukuro's fault, possessing him!"

A long moment. And then, "You have one request to ask of us." The smaller figure says, managing to loom in a menacing manner despite being shorter than Tsuna, "Is this your final answer?"

Tsuna has thought about this. Thought really hard about this. Gokudera's stabilizing ring is also something he needs, but Lancia – this is something only the Vindice can provide. He nods, resolute.

There is another long pause. "We will consider it." The smaller figure intones.

Tsuna's heart sinks. "Consider…? But Lancia-san has done nothing wro – "

"Lancia, the strongest man in Italy." The taller figure grumbles. "His kill count is one of the highest in Naples."

"This is the Mafia, Sawada Tsunayoshi." The smaller figure tells him, voice cold. "Do not mistake hesitance for kindness."

Right. Tsuna frowns and falls quiet. He can't use the same moral arguments here. Not with these people.

The smaller figure snorts. "Your father was the same kind of naïve fool. Perhaps this is a heritable disease."

The bullet burns warmly in Tsuna's hand. Tsuna grips it tightly.

"I wonder if you realize how dangerous you are, Sawada Tsunayoshi." The smaller figure mutters. They lift a hand towards Tsuna, and he watches wearily as a stone bauble comes visible from between the dark folds of the Vendice member's coat. The bandaged hand stops right before Tsuna's nose.

Tsuna swallows loudly, but doesn't move.

"A fool to the end…." The figure says, voice soft. "Know this: the man in the iron hat has his eyes on you, Sawada Tsunayoshi. That is enough to make you a threat. Those who threaten the Court are dealt with. You may do well to remember it." They tilt their head, the brim of their hat lowering to further shadow their nonvisible face. "Your father did not."

"What?" Tsuna gapes, "What do you mean – "

The figure turns away, sliding along the ground towards their companion. Before Tsuna can do more than step forward, hand reaching out futilely to stop them, they disappear into the darkness, one last jingle of their chains echoing into the room.

The bullet in Tsuna's hand drops heavily onto the floor, unsticking from his outstretched palm.

Tsuna exhales heavily through his nose. This is all his dad's fault. He just knows it.

* * *

Tsuna drops the strange orange bullet in front of Reborn. It clatters onto the coffee table the man has set his feet on. Tsuna considers that maybe he should have plopped it into the coffee on the table instead.

It may have been worth being shot at.

"What is this?" Tsuna demands. He remembers the strange wriggling thing in his pocket, and he reaches into his pants, hands grasping around something scaly and cool. And wiggly.

He pulls a lizard out of his front pocket.

"And this!" Tsuna cries, waving the creature around. He does his best not to crush the poor thing in his grip.

"That's Leon, my partner. Thanks for looking after him." Reborn smirks, slowly straightening from his relaxed position on the couch. "It was for your protection. Leon would have known what to do if you needed it."

Tsuna looks incredulously at the man. "Leon isn't a Grudge Monster too, is he?" He squints at the lizard, suspicious now.

"I see you didn't need it, after all." Reborn says, completely dodging Tsuna's question.

Tsuna splutters. "Don't change the subject! And no!" He points a finger at Reborn, "I don't even have a gun! What did you want me to do with it? Throw it at them?"

"If you needed it, you would have known." Reborn explains unhelpfully.

Tsuna takes a deep breath. He's still on edge from what Bermuda said. There's more pressing things to discuss. "Reborn, who is the 'man in the iron hat'?" What a strange descriptor. Surely there's something better to call someone?

Reborn leans in intensely, startling Tsuna. "Where did you hear that name?" The man hisses.

Tsuna takes a step back. "One of the Vendice said something about him." He admits, watching Reborn wearily. Just when he thinks he's gotten used to the man, something else comes up. Of course. "Is something wrong, Reborn?"

Reborn sighs, settling slowly back onto the couch. "It might be nothing." The man says, voice tight. "But this situation is too similar. It's the same as ten years ago."

Ten years ago. Tsuna purses his lips. "You were with Lal and the others when Dad died, weren't you?" Tsuna states more than asks, a close eye on Reborn. "What do the Vendice have to do with it?"

Reborn stiffens the slightest bit, and Tsuna knows. He's hit something here. "Reborn," He pushes, "What happened with Dad?"

"Nothing," The man stands up suddenly, hand on his hat. Tsuna can't see his eyes. "Come on. I told Dino I'd see you back to the island."

Discussion closed. Tsuna stares after Reborn's retreating back, thoughtful.

* * *

"_I've been released."_ Lancia says, looking more stunned than Tsuna.

The man stands at the front entrance to the Calvallone HQ with Tsuna, a small travel bag and truly terrible hat on his head. He looks shocked.

Tsuna is too, though for a different set of reasons.

Yamamoto, who accompanied the man to Tsuna, laughs. "They said since technically it's all Mukuro's fault that Lancia-san did the things that got him into jail in the first place, he's free to go." His smile is strained. "Though he did kidnap you, Tsuna. If you have any objection he can be detained?" The man sounds too hopeful.

Lancia grimaces, despite not knowing what Yamamoto said.

Tsuna shakes his head. "No! No, this is fine." Switching to Italian for Lancia's benefit, Tsuna says, _"This is great! Congratulations, Signor Lancia!"_ And really, he is happy for him. Tsuna grins. _"So what will you do now? Do you have anywhere to go? If you need you can stay with – "_

Lancia shakes his head, smiling shyly. _"Thank you, Tsuna, but I think… I think I'd like to travel. I want to visit the families of those… I killed."_ The man's eyes darken. _"It's the least I can do. And I think it'll bring me some peace."_

Something about the words prickles at Tsuna's mind. _"Will you… come back someday? I'd like to hear about your progress."_

Lancia smiles. _"Of course."_

It'll do.

* * *

It takes Tsuna almost a week before he realizes Yamamoto is avoiding him.

Reborn's training and his job keeps him busy, Tsuna rationalizes, Fuuta and Gokudera also divide his attention at home and – and he's making up excuses.

"He's just looked so _miserable_ lately." Kyoko sighs into her cake, her heart not into the confection. "Onii-chan's been kind of distant recently too." A huge bite of frosting disappears into Kyoko's mouth. This is her fourth slice. "I don't know what's wrong with them. I've tried talking with Hana-chan about it, but she's not sure what's going on either." Hana, Kyoko's lawyer friend. Apparently also human. Tsuna met her once and – the lady was _terrifying_. The human label is a bit flimsy on her. "I'm worried."

Tsuna isn't sure if he should tell Kyoko that going for a fifth slice might be a bad idea. Binge eating might make her sick, but Kyoko looks slightly happier with every mouthful of sugar going down her gullet. Tsuna decides it's best to leave it alone. "Do you think it has to do with the," Tsuna leans down, hand covering his mouth. "Mukuro incident?" He whispers, paranoid he might be heard. Fuuta may be at home, but one could never be too suspicious concerning the man.

"Maybe," Kyoko sighs. "None of us were happy when your kidnapper got released, but since you vouch for his character…." The woman glares at Tsuna sternly. "You need to be less forgiving, Tsuna-kun. We all worry about you, you know. You're proving to be more accident prone than even Onii-chan, and that got him _killed_."

Uwah. Tsuna ducks his head, thoroughly chastised. "Sorry, but he really is a good person! He just looks kind of scary…."

Kyoko looks at him, concerned. "Oh, if you say so." Silence. And then, "Maybe we can throw a party? A 'Tsuna-kun is safe for now' party."

"That's not funny," Tsuna complains.

* * *

"Congratulations on capturing the wrong prisoner!" Is a gruesome title for a celebratory banner, but it's better than the first one, Tsuna argues. Kyoko looks happy enough for any excuse to party so the decorations become a non-issue.

The fact that over half the partygoers are dead and _moody_ does become an issue.

Sipping his off tasting punch, Tsuna wonders if perhaps the banner is too offensive.

"It's hilarious," The chief, the lady with the burn scar named Lal Mirch, says to Tsuna in Japanese. Her accent isn't quite as atrocious as Yamamoto's is in Italian, but it's close. "It serves Reborn right, the bastard, taking control of _my_ department's operation." Lal huffs, pouring something suspiciously clear into the punch bowl. "It's just that there's been something going on with the Grudge Monsters and Paragons in the city recently. They get like that sometimes. Nothing monthly like a menstrual cycle, but just as temperamental."

Tsuna flushes like a tomato.

Yamamoto hasn't come to talk to Tsuna _once_.

"You _can_ go talk to him first, you know." Kyoko says, redirecting Ryohei to the _other_ punch bowl, carefully scooping the liquid to sniff before determining it to be safe enough for consumption. "I'm not really sure what's gotten him down, but it's something more than just the mood."

Tsuna frowns. "Did I do something to offend him?"

"Maybe?" Kyoko frowns, her brows furrowing cutely in thought. "Did you get a boyfriend recently, Tsuna-kun?" She asks gravely.

The punch goes down the wrong tube and Tsuna chokes. "_What_. _No._" Tsuna wheezes. "What makes you think – " He's at a loss for words. No, _Kyoko_ please – "I don't! I definitely don't." Tsuna says, desperate.

"Huh, I thought it'd be that for sure." Lal says, tasting the new mixture of fruit juice. "He moons like a school girl," The woman says dispassionately. "I could have sworn it was some lost love or something." She sounds especially bitter.

Tsuna freezes. "Er, you don't think Yamamoto – "

"Maybe it's that mentor of his?" Kyoko continues, "Squalo?"

Why are they only naming men? Tsuna wonders. And then decides not to wonder.

"Squalo is extremely old!" Ryohei intones wisely. "I saw some magazines in Yamamoto's room once. Squalo is extremely not his type. His hair's too long."

Oh my god, he's not hearing this. "T-then what do you think is wrong with him?" Tsuna asks loudly. Too loud. Yamamoto looks in their direction like a startled rabbit and flees the room.

Lal, Kyoko, and Ryohei look at Tsuna reproachfully.

"Tsuna-kun, it's not polite to speak so obviously about people's feelings!" Kyoko admonishes.

"Extremely rude!" Ryohei agrees.

And talking about someone's taste in men _is_? Tsuna decides to give it up when Lal starts glaring in his direction.

"I'll just go look for him then." Tsuna declares hastily, choosing his escape. The world sways slowly as he makes for the door.

* * *

"Yamamoto…?" Tsuna calls, shivering slightly as he walks on to the rooftop balcony.

The man hardly turns to acknowledge him, wings spread out as if to fly. Tsuna winces.

"I brought you something to drink," Tsuna tries, edging closer. "Is it okay if I sit here?"

Yamamoto glances briefly at him and nods.

Tsuna sighs, relieved. "Thanks." A beat. "Yamamoto, I'm sorr – "

"Three years ago," Yamamoto interrupts, talking over Tsuna loudly, "I threw myself off a rooftop like this one."

Tsuna freezes. Unlike Kyoko and Ryohei who occasionally mention Ryohei's method of death, Yamamoto actively avoids the subject, clamming up or otherwise speaking of other things whenever the topic arises. Tsuna stays silent, waiting for Yamamoto to continue.

He does. "I wasn't really happy then. My dad had to move to Neo Venice because of something to do with work – though why he had to quit his sushi business I didn't know at the time – and I couldn't really connect with the others in my school, being horrible at Italian." Yamamoto grins, the gesture empty. "I couldn't play baseball because I was so busy trying to get adjusted to the culture. It was just so _strange_. My dad used to hate anything foreign but then he decided to up and move to Italy of all places."

"My old man. He was part of the mafia." Yamamoto admits, and Tsuna pats the man without really thinking about it. Yamamoto chuckles. "Yeah. He was a hitman of a sort. A Grudge Monster hitman, I think. My sword. The Shigure Kintoki was my dad's." Yamamoto sighs. "He died a little before I did. It was kind of the last straw really. I'd just graduated high school by then but I couldn't really move back to Japan without my dad, and when I heard he died, well." Yamamoto's wings twitch. He bursts into hollow laughter. And then peters into silence.

Tsuna isn't quite certain what to say. His hand, still on Yamamoto's shoulder, tightens on impulse. It's not as though Yamamoto will jump off the roof _now_ but their proximity to the edge of the building suddenly worries Tsuna. The silence stretches, almost as though Yamamoto is waiting for Tsuna to _say_ something, but Tsuna honestly can't think of anything that won't immediately put his foot in his mouth.

"I thought you'd died too, Tsuna." Yamamoto says at length, right before Tsuna opens his mouth to say something stupid. ("What did you regret?") "I don't know if you realize, but we all thought you'd – " Yamamoto pauses, and then starts again, changing direction. "Even Reborn. I was going to get mad at him because he'd turned you into a Paragon, but." The man's eyes look distant. "He kind of looked like the world had ended for him too, you know?"

Too. Tsuna looks at Yamamoto, searching his face. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." Tsuna says, not entirely sure what he's apologizing for this time.

Yamamoto laughs humorlessly. "No, I don't think you are, Tsuna. When you do something, you _really_ do something." Arresting brown eyes turn to Tsuna, a little lighter than before. "But that's your charm point too."

And now the man is just teasing him. Tsuna colors slightly, but grins, pleased that his friend is coming back to his usual humor. Tsuna lets Yamamoto off with just a playful shove of an elbow.

Tsuna briefly considers asking Yamamoto about stabilizing rings, and then determines they've had enough heavy conversation for one day.

He'll ask tomorrow.

* * *

"I want you to train me too, Reborn." Yamamoto says, tone serious like he's facing off against an opponent.

Tsuna falls from the handstand he'd been forced into out of shock. Reborn absentmindedly kicks his arm in reprimand, eyes focused on the winged Grudge Monster who had landed in the middle of their training field.

"And why should I train you? Don't you have your own preceptor?" Reborn asks, watching the other carefully.

Tsuna, finally catching his breath, gasps out, "Yamamoto! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Tsuna," The man greets, smiling. "I thought maybe it'd be a good idea to join you guys. I could use some buffing up too." Yamamoto flexes his arm in jest.

Tsuna enviously watches the man's bicep ripple under the man's shirt. Buffing up. Right.

"Also," Yamamoto continues, brows furrowing, smile losing its good humor, "I want to be able to help you. With Mukuro, I couldn't do anything, you know?"

Tsuna thinks about their discussion the other night and quietly represses the slight guilt about not telling the others about the Mukuro-Fuuta situation.

"Fine." Reborn announces, startling Tsuna. "Don't expect me to go easy on you."

"That's just what I want." Yamamoto agrees, grinning sharply.

Tsuna thinks perhaps this may be a bad idea.

* * *

"Don't you look energetic this evening." Mukuro comments, borrowing Fuuta's body to steal Tsuna's supply of green tea. At the very least the man isn't feeding the child something unhealthy.

Tsuna flops a hand at him, face down on his countertop. Yamamoto is unfairly athletic, inspiring Reborn to push Tsuna to the same lengths for their training session. It's terrible and inhumane and Tsuna cannot feel his limbs. This is all in preparation of fighting off people like Mukuro.

Mukuro.

Tsuna raises his head to look balefully at the possessed Fuuta. "This is your fault, you know." He accuses, "Everyone is all pumped up to defeat you and – you really shouldn't be here. It's not safe for you either." It really isn't. If anyone dropped in on them – especially with Yamamoto's history of similar entrances – Mukuro would be in a tight spot. Tsuna would be in a tight spot.

Mukuro smiles. "Do not worry about it, Sawada Tsunayoshi. You underestimate my skill. I did not escape the Vendice without a matter of ability."

True. Tsuna frowns, thoughtful as he observes Mukuro under a new light. "Hey Mukuro, what do you know about the Vendice?" The mummified members Tsuna talked to and Reborn's reaction to that strange descriptor of a man, the man in the iron hat – there's a lot going on above Tsuna's head.

"Interested in our world are you?" Mukuro's grin stretches as Tsuna splutters an empathetic _no_. "The Vendice are an institution of the Mafia, the jailors of the lawless and the monsters." The man explains, clearly winding up for a dramatic speech. "They are the strongest of the Grudge Monsters and an organization made up completely of the dead."

"Police for Mafia only?" Tsuna muses aloud, turning the thought through his head. The only rules he knows of the Mafia are… "So people who break the Omertà…?" Tsuna asks, wincing. This is how people who end up involved in the underground get caught huh?

Mukuro inclines his head slowly. "Some," He agrees, "But not all. Those who commit acts too cruel for even the bloodthirsty, those who break agreements of bloodpacts. All are under judgment of the Vendice."

Sounds… antiquated. Tsuna struggles with a thought before figuring it's nothing worse than what he's already asked. "You were a prisoner of the Vendice, right? What did you do Mukuro…?" Tsuna asks, steeling his stomach for the answer.

Mukuro considers Tsuna for a moment. Just long enough to make Tsuna sweat a bit. "Oh, just a few things…." The man smiles, stretching Fuuta's face to eerie lengths. "What the Vendice are after are not just for my crimes, Sawada Tsunayoshi, but my silence." The man turns unusually somber. "The earthquake ten years ago – it was not simply a natural disaster. I will tell you that."

Ten years ago…. Tsuna swallows thickly. "Mukuro – were you there? Do you know about my dad?"

Mukuro looks away. "Your father was only a small piece of the whole puzzle, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Do not ask any more, lest you become hunted." Like Mukuro.

"You make it sound like some government conspiracy." Tsuna complains. The temperature in his apartment feels like it's fallen. These Neo Venetian people need to learn how to lighten up. Or maybe they just need a dose of regular human interaction.

"Says the man working for the top extortionist in the region." Mukuro refutes, laughing. "Surely even you must be aware of Callvalone Dino's hand in the govern – "

"Stop right there." Tsuna demands, covering his ears. "I don't want to know!" He doesn't _need_ to know. All the better to keep himself from accidentally breaking Omertà. He does not want to see those cloaked mummified figures ever again, thank you.

Although speaking of. "Also, Mukuro, I had another question." Tsuna continues. "What is the 'Court'?" The Vendice mentioned it just in passing, but other than the 'Man in the iron hat', the term stood out. Like it meant something else.

"The Tri-Ni-Sette…." Mukuro murmurs, frowning. "That's an interesting question you ask of me, Sawada Tsunayoshi." The man's gaze sharpens, focusing intensely on Tsuna. "And where have you heard this?"

Tsuna feels ten again, with his mother standing over him asking who taught him that curse word, never repeat it again, young man! "The, uh, Vendice said something about it?" Tsuna tries, leaning away slightly. He can't move too far without his muscles aching. "My dad and the court and something about threats?" He adds, dredging up as much of the conversation as he can. Yeah. That's it.

Mukuro hums. "I see…." His gaze becomes assessing. "A new court member?" The man mutters, squinting at Tsuna. "Or perhaps they have realized…?"

Realized what? "Mukuro…?" Tsuna asks, "So what is the court?" Tri-Ni – uh. Three sevenths? Seven over three? Math is not Tsuna's strong point, and so neither is he good with Italian math terminology. Or even Japanese, to be entirely honest.

Fuuta stands up, startling Tsuna. Mukuro's red eye fixes on Tsuna, the Kanji for "one" shining brightly in its depths. "I will be back." The man announces, and Tsuna dives for Fuuta before the boy hits his head on the side of the tabletop.

"Mukuro?" Tsuna calls, shaking Fuuta's small shoulders. "Fuuta?" He tries, worried for the boy.

"_Tsunayoshi Sawada, ranked first of – " _

Tsuna sighs. So Mukuro is gone. _"Let's get you to bed, Fuuta."_ Tsuna grunts, arms shaking as he picks the child up. Mukuro would be back on his own time, hopefully with an answer for Tsuna. This penchant for mystery really needed to stop.

Gokudera marches up to Tsuna, finally approaching now that Mukuro is gone. The cat gurgles up at Tsuna questioningly.

Tsuna smiles. "Yeah, Mukuro's gone for now. Help me get Fuuta into bed, would you? Yeah, yeah, I'll get you dinner in a minute."

* * *

The moodiness hasn't left Neo Venetia's Grudge Monsters.

It's nearly been a month.

"Sometimes, they say that it's a forewarning of a strong Grudge Monster to come." Kyoko comments, waving her fork in the air. "Grudge Monsters can sense each other sometimes – it's almost unconscious. Some describe it as smelling rotting flesh, or like feeling scorching heat."

Ryohei bounces on his stack of phonebooks. "Some monsters feel extremely hot!" The boy agrees, punching the air. "But it's harder to tell unless you're extremely close. Yamamoto's smell is better for tracking."

Yamamoto and Reborn are doing some intensive training without Tsuna, so it's just Kyoko, Ryohei, and Tsuna, eating sweets. It's starting to become a weekly tradition.

Tsuna chews on his straw. "I've heard that from some people before." Like Lancia and Yamamoto. "Does that mean you can feel something now?"

Ryohei shakes his head. "I extremely don't feel anything. There's too many people around here, and everything feels warm." The boy droops a bit, a cheek seeking the coolness of the table despite the winter season being in full swing. "It's always warm in the city."

Kyoko hums. "Oniichan is strange for being able to sense living people too. We think it has to do with his, ah. Method of death." The woman takes a larger bite of her cake. "At any rate, everyone is gearing up for a fight. With that Mukuro on the loose and the Vendice getting more active, who knows what is causing this miasma."

"We've been extremely busy with more cases too." Ryohei adds, opening his mouth to accept a spoonful of ice-cream from Tsuna. The boy looks like he needs the cool treat. "People who shouldn't have made Grudge Monsters are becoming them. It's extremely weird."

"Thankfully Dino-san has agreed to send out notice to the other _Famiglia_ to decrease assassination orders." Kyoko says, taking little note of Tsuna blanching beside her. "It should help with the workload."

"Right," Tsuna wheezes. Really, sometimes it's hard to tell who is the real Mafioso between the three (usually four) of them. "I'm just worried about Yamamoto," Tsuna confides, attempting to change topic. "He's been kind of _intense_. Reborn too."

"You gave him quite a scare recently, after all, Tsuna-kun." Kyoko says, tone gentle. "Yamamoto-kun cares a great deal for you. You're his closest friend in a very long time."

Tsuna frowns. Certainly Yamamoto is for Tsuna as well, but the man has lived in Neo Venice for a much longer time. Maybe that's what he needs. More friends.

* * *

"Basil, this is Yamamoto," Tsuna says slowly, watching the other man for signs of aggression. "Yamamoto, this is Basil, my coworker."

"Nice to meet you, Basil!" Yamamoto greets without reservation. "I heard you're pretty good at Japanese? It's always nice to meet fellow speakers!" The officer-off-duty smiles blindingly at the Mafioso.

Basil looks uncertainly at the hand extended out to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Yamamoto-dono." Basil tries, carefully accepting the appendage.

This is going well, Tsuna thinks. Yamamoto needs more friends, Basil needs to get over his allergy of the police, it all works out.

"You smell a lot like me," Yamamoto adds, all smiles. "Are you a Grudge Monster hitman?"

Basil freezes.

Tsuna quietly sinks into the floor. He steps on Yamamoto's foot as discreetly as he can. "I told you, Yamamoto, that he's my coworker." Tsuna interjects, quickly working on damage control. "He helps me cover the door and is part of the security here."

And not Mafioso, nosiree.

Yamamoto nods. "I see. I suppose that makes sense. You have that feel about you." And then to Tsuna's eternal horror, adds, "Do you fight with swords?"

Basil blinks. (Tsuna tries not to hyperventilate.) "I do, actually. How did thoust know?" The man pulls out some triangular and sharp object from behind his jacket, showing it off to Yamamoto. "My master taught me how to… ah, defend myself if need be." Basil explains.

Knowing Iemitsu and Basil's original career plan, Tsuna very much doubts it is simply for self-defense. But nonetheless, this is going swimmingly well, despite the. Sudden curve into bladed weapons and definitely illegal firearms – right. Tsuna determinedly does not look at the two weapons enthusiasts pulling out their dangerous stashes of… sharp and pointy things. He's done his part.

"Right, uh, I'll leave you two to talk that out. See you both later!" Tsuna announces, and legs it in the other direction.

Tsuna hardly thinks they notice his departure.

* * *

"_You will pay for what you have done, Iemitsu!" _

Tsuna whirls around just in time to gasp and cover his head with his arms as his assailant rams into him with all the force of a speeding freight train. Tsuna distractedly thanks whatever deity that his training with Reborn has taught him to land on his shoulders rather than his head when he falls. Not that it hurts any less, of course, but at least he's not fighting off a concussion too.

As it is, Tsuna wheezes for breath as someone sits on top of him, metal gauntlet covered fists raised to smash Tsuna's head in. The person is surprisingly heavy – it feels more like there's a house sitting on top of Tsuna rather than an adult sized being, slowly squeezing his chest until the air is forced out of his lungs. As Tsuna's vision goes splotchy with dark spots bursting into his vision from the air loss, he looks up at his assailant, making out brightly glowing red eyes. Wait. Glowing red eyes?

Grudge Monster? Tsuna thinks, cursing his luck. He'd really been hoping he'd get a few more weeks before the next encounter, really. The Mukuro-incident was just shy a month behind him – couldn't he ask for a longer break?

The Grudge Monster atop him narrows its eyes, searching Tsuna's quickly paling face for something. It blinks. _"A… human?"_ It mutters, its Italian strangely accented, and suddenly Tsuna can breathe again, wheezing as air is forced back into his lungs from the pressure rebound.

Tsuna gasps and coughs, his mind a blur. What just happened? Did the Grudge Monster decide he didn't look tasty enough to eat? (Not that he's complaining.) Tsuna vaguely feels someone helping him into a sitting position, the change in gravity helping him take in more air. Tsuna flails a hand, trying to warn his helper to get away. Who knew where the Grudge Monster went? What if it came back for a second go at them?

"_I'm sorry,"_ The person says, voice soft and panicked, _"I thought you were – I'm really sorry!"_

What? Tsuna squints his eyes open, trying to get a better look at the other – and freezes. Red eyes.

"G-Grudge – " Tsuna gasps out, arms flying as he pushes against the monster's face to do a hurried scoot roll away from his assailant. It takes a moment to find his feet, though as soon as he does, Tsuna trips backwards over nothing and lands painfully on his tailbone. Ow.

Cursing his clumsiness for sabotaging his escape, Tsuna gets another look at the Grudge Monster. Person. It's a man about Tsuna's age – with red hair and red eyes and about ten different bandages strewn over his face. Even now a bruise looks to blossom over the cheek Tsuna punched in his panic to get away. Tsuna winces, guilt churning in his gut. It's just a person. Not a Grudge Monster.

A person that he punched, when all they were doing was trying to help him. _"Sorry,"_ Tsuna starts, _"I didn't realize – "_

"_It's okay,"_ The man says, smiling awkwardly, then wincing at the subsequent pain. _"I kind of attacked you first, after all."_

Tsuna blinks. _"What?"_ He blurts, frowning. Attacked first? Wasn't that a Grudge Mosnter? Unless this person was saying that he was –

"_Anyways, it's not safe here."_ The man picks himself off the ground, dusting his pants off. He offers a bandaged hand to Tsuna, expression sober. _"You'll be in trouble if you stay here. Come on." _

Trouble from what? Tsuna wants to ask, but he's seen the same facial expression on Yamamoto and Dino and everyone else here enough to know that this is one of those situations. The do first, explain later. Absently wondering if he'll live to regret this decision later, Tsuna accepts the help up and is dragged off into the nearest alleyway, hand still in the stranger's grasp.

* * *

Five dead ends and a stray cat attack later, Tsuna takes the lead as he pulls the man towards a main street. As the streets become a little more familiar, Tsuna figures it's safe enough to start asking questions.

"_So, what's your name?"_ Tsuna starts conversationally. _"I'm Tsuna." _

The other man is silent for a while, staring at Tsuna in something akin to wonder. Or weariness. Either or. _"Enma."_ The man says eventually.

There's a certain twang to Enma's speech that Tsuna occasionally hears in visiting uh, _Familiga_. Yeah.

There's another pause before Enma continues, _"Where are we going?"_

"… _A nearby café,"_ Tsuna decides on the spot. Better than all those dark, narrow alleyways Enma was pulling them through. If he thought he had a bad sense of direction, Tsuna had nothing on this man. _"It's getting pretty close to dinner time, so I thought maybe something to eat would be nice. I'll treat you."_ Tsuna adds, coat pocket heavy with the weight of his most recent paycheck. It would have been a fine day to get mugged.

Enma stops walking, and Tsuna, still connected to the other by their hands, is jerked to a stop. The man is stronger than he looks, Tsuna thinks disparagingly as he rubs at his abused shoulder. It felt like his arm would pop off.

Trying not to grimace too obviously, Tsuna asks, _"Enma? Is something wrong?"_ Maybe the man doesn't like coffee?

Enma stares Tsuna down from behind a long fringe of red hair, frowning. _"Why?"_

Tsuna blinks. "Excuse me?" He says, first in Japanese, then in Italian for Enma's benefit. _"Why what? If you mean why a café, we can go somewhere else. There's a bakery nearby too that – "_

"_I tried to attack you,"_ Enma explains, gesturing wildly with his other arm. _"Why are you being nice to me…?"_

So Enma _was_ that Grudge Monster. Tsuna grimaces. _"Well, you did apologize."_ Unlike most of his usual assailants. The only other person to apologize was Yamamoto, and that turned out rather well, Tsuna thinks. _"And…"_ Tsuna continues, making sure to keep good eye contact. _"You called me Iemitsu?"_

Enma winces. The man looks away, shifting guiltily under Tsuna's stare. _"Iemitsu Sawada." _(Of course, Tsuna sighs internally.) _"He was responsible for my family's murder ten years ago."_ His grip on their connecting hands tightens to a painful degree, making Tsuna bite his lip to keep from crying out in pain or something equally unmanly.

"_I'm – " _sorry. Tsuna tries to say, but then Enma continues, _"Moreover, he overstepped his bounds as Emperor and a member of the Inner Court." _Tsuna gapes a bit as Enma's eyes gain that Grudge Monster glow again. _"And as Royale, I cannot let that pass."_

* * *

This one's really choppy and all over the place, I'm sorry. Please keep speculating and questioning! It gives me strength aHAHAHA.


	6. Chapter 6

Some fanon about certain characters' flames in this chapter.

Also as a public service announcement: If a person is choking but still coughing, talking, or wheezing, their airway is still technically open. Do not use a Heimlich maneuver until the victim stops making noise. If they are coughing, encourage them to continue doing so. If they are unconscious, use the CPR method instead.

Source: Me, a person with BLS certification.

* * *

"_Enma… my – I mean, Iemitsu – wasn't… you know – " _There aren't even imperial-monarchial systems present in Italy any more – at least to Tsuna's admittedly limited knowledge of Italian politics. And even if there were, Sawada Iemitsu would have been the last possible candidate for the position. The absolute _last_. _"He's _definitely not_ any kind of royalty – "_ And if he _was_, Tsuna would bring the man back _himself _to explain because this is beyond unfair to… to everything. Tsuna can't even comprehend it.

Enma shakes his head. _"No, not that kind of emperor. The _Emperor_,"_ The man repeats, extra emphasis on the word. When Tsuna fails to show any better understanding, Enma tries again. _"Perhaps you know them better as the Vongola – though they have hardly held the proper title in decades."_

A clam? Tsuna's brain tries, frantically racking through his albeit limited internal Italian-Japanese dictionary. He can't help but think of the local restaurant's seafood menu. Dino took his closest _Famiglia _and Tsuna for dinner sometimes.

"_Er, vongole?"_ Tsuna tries, _"Molluschi?"_ Seafood? Were they talking about dinner choices again? Tsuna decides to take this as a sign. _"Er, if you want seafood for dinner, I know a pretty good place."_

"_You,"_ Enma stares at Tsuna and pauses. The man's eyes widen as if he suddenly realizes something, and he drops his eyes, looking away. _"I. I said too much. I apologize." _

What? _"Wait, wait, what do you mean?"_ Tsuna flounders, grasping Enma by the shoulders. He's tired of losing leads to whatever's been going on with his dad. No one's _talking_. _"What is this 'court'?"_ Tsuna asks, picking out the only term he knows to be of importance.

Enma hesitates. _"It's – "_

"Sawada-dono!" "Tsuna!"

Tsuna whips his head around on reflex to see Basil and Yamamoto running at him. Rushing at him, if the speed at which their forms get closer is any indication. Tsuna thinks he can see the glow of Yamamoto's eyes in the gloom of after-dark Venice.

"Basil-kun, Yamamoto," Tsuna gapes, letting go of Enma's shoulders in surprise. He manages to just barely raise his arms in self-defense before Basil tackles him to the ground. "Oof!" He wheezes, completely winded. The man's hand wraps around his head to prevent injury, but it does nothing for the sudden weight of an entire person on his ribcage.

This feels familiar.

"Sawada-dono, art thoust unharmed?" Basil asks, voice absolutely _severe_. Without waiting for an answer, Basil continues, his head tilted upwards, "Yamamoto-dono, the Grudge Monster – "

Tsuna follows Basil's gaze. Yamamoto stands with his back to them, his wings in clear view. The Grudge Monster appendages spread fully and flap for a moment as if to take Yamamoto off the ground, and then disappear with a short flash of light. "It's gone." Yamamoto declares, turning around to face them. "How is he?" the man asks, going over Tsuna's head entirely.

"I'm fine," Tsuna declares before Basil can speak. He brushes himself off as he finds his feet, determinedly not looking at either of his friends. A strange mix of emotions swirls through Tsuna's chest, and after a moment, he settles on exasperated. Why does this keep on happening to him?

Tsuna gathers himself enough to turn around. "What was _that_?" He blurts. Shouts. "The two of you come out of _nowhere_, _tackle me_ to the ground – "

"Tsuna, you were with a Grudge Monster." Yamamoto explains, looking about as harried as Tsuna feels. "You could have been _hurt_." He adds earnestly when Tsuna's unimpressed face fails to change into understanding.

"Not all Grudge Monsters are as stable as Yamamoto-dono is." Basil tacks on, "Their focus is to destroy everything that ties them to this world: first those related to their grudge, and then everyone else they have ever met.

"This includes people after their death, Sawada-dono." Basil stresses, reaching out to grab Tsuna's arms. "A stable Grudge Monster now can become an unstable one later. Once they lose their humanity, every person that has been in contact with it is liable to become a _target_."

Well, okay. Tsuna closes his eyes. "I really don't understand this _get-rid-of-all-Grudge-Monsters_ mentality you guys have." He starts, resolutely not looking at the two. "_You're_ a Grudge Monster, I've _been_ a Grudge Monster, Reborn's a Grudge Monster. I can understand having to subdue out of control ones, but to _kill_ them isn't really fair." Tsuna opens his eyes, staring straight at Basil. "Isn't this what caused all those problems ten years ago?"

Basil's hands loosen on Tsuna's arms, fingers going slack. It gives just enough for Tsuna to pull away and make a break for it.

Yamamoto half-heartedly calls Tsuna back. Basil doesn't even try.

* * *

By the time Tsuna gets home, he feels like the worst human being on the planet.

He stares at his apartment door, keys in hand. He really should go back and apologize to Basil. Or at least call him, if the man would even answer. He'd just been so frustrated at being denied answers again, and he'd never really been comfortable with their Grudge Monster policy to begin with and –

And he's making excuses again.

Tsuna sighs, inserting his keys to unlock the door. He has work in the morning. He'd apologize then. Surely Basil wouldn't _not_ come to work just because of him, right?

The line of thought is interrupted as soon as he steps into his apartment.

"_Sawada Tsunayoshi, _what have you _done_?!"

Tsuna wheezes as he's pressed bodily against his front door. Just one after the other today, isn't it? "Mukuro? Wh – ack – what are you talking about?! Let me go!" Tsuna gasps, struggling against Fuuta-Mukuro's vice grip against his throat. There's absolutely no way that this is just Fuuta's power, Paragon or not.

"My body!" Mukuro growls, vines growing out of the ground and pinning Tsuna more firmly to the wall. "_I cannot return to it! What have you done?!_" The man demands, foregoing Japanese altogether. Panic and hysteria bleeds into Fuuta's heterochromatic eyes, and Tsuna stares.

There's actually something very wrong here. A weight – the bullet Tsuna's been carrying around since the meeting with Vendice – burns in his pocket, but there's more pressing concerns at the moment.

"Mukuro, stop!" Tsuna tries, trying harder against his bonds now. With the man so unhinged, there's no guaranteeing his own safety anymore. "Let me go and explain! In _words_!"

It's no use – more and more vines appear, cutting off feeling in his limbs, and the small, bony fingers around his throat tighten dangerously. As Tsuna starts to see black spots obscure the terrifying vision of Fuuta-Mukuro's murderous expression, a growl rends the air, and suddenly Fuuta goes flying sideways into the far wall.

Gokudera, in full Grudge Monster form hisses and crouches over Tsuna as he slides down the vertical surface of his door to the ground.

Coughing, Tsuna blindly reaches out to grab at a furry limb. "Wait, Gokudera-kun, don't hurt Fuuta – " It's an unfortunate reality that fighting Mukuro in that form will hurt the possessed Paragon too.

Using his grip on the Grudge Monster to pull himself up, Tsuna staggers towards the small crater in his wall. He reaches into his pockets to grip the bullet, unsure what to do with it, but finding some courage from its solid warmth.

Gokudera cautiously stalks closer behind him, a warning growl in his throat.

"Mukuro?" Tsuna calls, a hand inching out towards the unresponsive Fuuta. "Are you alri – " It's only instinct that saves Tsuna from becoming skewered on the sharp end of an illusory vine. "Ack, Mukuro!" Tsuna calls, attempting an admonishing tone. He's not sure if it makes it through his panicked screech. He holds a limb out to keep Gokudera from rushing Fuuta. "Talk to me here! What's going on?!"

"… It's awoken." Mukuro eventually mutters, standing up. Cuts on Fuuta's forehead and arms bleed flames, making Tsuna wince.

"What's awake?" Tsuna asks, watching Fuuta-Mukuro closely. It's harder to tell when the next attack might come with this guy, considering these aren't physical blows. "What happened?"

Mukuro looks up to match eyes with Tsuna, some of the hysteria settled into a muted terror. "The Grudge Monsters put into my body were all decayed to the point of bare existence." Mukuro says, flying off topic. "It was an experiment to recreate Royale by the Vendice."

Tsuna freezes. Royale. That's what Enma called himself, right? Almost half afraid that interrupting him will make Mukuro stop talking again, Tsuna holds his questions, waiting for the man to continue.

He does. "It was a success – of a sort. I could control all the Grudge Monsters' powers, though it hardly made me any kind of Court member." Mukuro adds, more to himself than to Tsuna or anyone else at this point. "I could only control these monsters because of the complete lack of humanity – of autonomy they possessed, and yet now – " Mukuro pauses, considering Tsuna with a strange expression. "When we fought, you – you took my control over the Grudge Monster away."

The man opens his mouth, and then closes it. "I see…."

See what? "Mukuro, explain to me what you mean." Tsuna tries, "What happened to you? What do you mean you can't return to your body?" Did this have to do with whatever happened that time he'd achieved a Paragon form? Tsuna's fingers tighten around the bullet in his hand. "How can I help?" He asks, figuring there's got to be some reason Mukuro is so fixated on attacking him.

The man frowns. "When you fought me, what was your aim, Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro asks, eyes flicking to the hand holding the bullet.

"To defeat you." Tsuna admits easily. Didn't they already have this conversation at the hospital?

"But _how_?" Mukuro pushes, "What powers did you use to do so? You were a _Paragon_," The man expands. "It was not just pure destructive power that you used then."

Right. Tsuna frowns, trying to think back. He's not entirely certain how this is relevant, but, "… I was trying to get rid of the Grudge Monster." Or something like that. "I thought that maybe because Grudge Monsters are run by, uh, their _grudge_, if I got rid of it, it'd go away."

Mukuro stares at him for a very long moment. "… Truly, you are a marvel, Sawada Tsunayoshi." The man shakes his head, mirth at his lips. "I cannot tell if you are a fool or a genius."

Absolutely _rude_. "What's that supposed to mean?" Tsuna pouts. Frowns. But at the very least, Mukuro's seemed to have calmed some. With the immediate threat to his life gone, Tsuna loses feeling in his legs and wobbles back into Gokudera, who easily props him up. "Thanks, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna smiles wanly.

"That Grudge Monster you attempted to remove the grudge from," Mukuro starts at length, "It regained some sense of consciousness."

Tsuna freezes. "Come again?"

Mukuro smiles, twisting Fuuta's face into a sardonic grin. "You've brought the dead back to life, Sawada Tsunayoshi." He closes his eyes, "And now it's taken control of my body. Good job."

* * *

Desperately needing the advice of those better versed in the physiology of Grudge Monsters, Tsuna foregoes his job to drag Kyoko, Ryohei, and Yamamoto to their usual café.

Gokudera is on guard duty at home, the cat happily taking to prowling around the possessed Fuuta-Mukuro to keep the man from going anywhere. Tsuna doesn't know what else to do with him.

Actually, Tsuna doesn't know what to do about the entire situation. It's flown so far out of his hands, he's about ready to break it down to Reborn instead. Except that he knows the man's first response would be to shoot Fuuta full of holes to get at Mukuro, so that's a no go.

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna starts off with, "I'm really sorry about yesterday, Yamamoto."

Yamamoto smiles at him. "I'm sorry too, Tsuna. I know you don't like what we do." His expression wanes slightly as he continues, "Besides, I think you might want to say that to Basil more. He seemed so sad…."

Tsuna winces. "I. I know. I will, but I had to ask you guys something first." He'll definitely go to work after this. Basil deserved an apology first hand.

"Does it have to do with those bruises, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko asks, voice bright but eyes full of murder. "Just give me a name – or a description. Either will do." Ryohei nods vigorously beside his sister, and Tsuna inches back.

"No, no! This is – " he winces as he touches his neck. Mukuro really did a number on him last night. "Well, kind of." Tsuna admits, sighing. How to explain this now?

The loud scraping of plastic chairs has Tsuna looking up. "Yamamoto-kun, get witness reports from Tsuna-kun's neighbors. I'll ask around Dino-san's place to see if there's been anything going on – " Kyoko starts, already collaborating with her fellow officers.

Tsuna yelps, jumping up from his seat as well. "No, no, no! You've got it wrong, Kyoko-chan! This was from Mukuro!"

The three freeze and turn to Tsuna as one with horror written over their faces. Pausing, Tsuna reviews his last sentence. Ah.

"No, uh, that is." Tsuna tries, backtracking. "Did I say Mukuro? I meant uh. _Il loto_! Yes, _il fiore di loto_." Was that too far a reach? It wasn't entirely a lie, to be honest, with Mukuro's usual choice of weapon.

"Sawada," Ryohei starts, putting a hand on Tsuna's shoulder. Face entirely somber, the boy asks, "Do you feel safe at home?"

No. "Yes," Tsuna responds, attempting to match the boy for tone.

They match eyes for a long solemn moment before Ryohei declares, "Kyoko, we need to get a warrant from Lal-san."

Tsuna squawks. "No, no, hey! Okay, okay, I'll tell you the truth!" He pleads as he hangs on to the three's legs to keep them from marching in to destroy his home in a fit of well-intentioned protectiveness.

* * *

"… And that's the gist of it." Tsuna finishes, face like a man condemned.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto says, stretching his name out slowly as if talking to a child. "Mukuro tried to kill you now. Twice."

"And you're letting him stay with you?" Kyoko finishes, aghast. "What if he – what am I saying, he _did _hurt you! You should have told us right away!"

"Extremely dangerous, Sawada!" Ryohei adds.

"This is exactly why!" Tsuna cries, "You guys are too quick to judge! I don't _want_ to fight Mukuro – I'm sure if we just talked things through, it'd be fine!"

Yamamoto sighs as he drops down into his chair. "You're too nice, Tsuna. It's what I like about you too but…." The man looks desperately at Kyoko who frowns.

"Tsuna-kun, while I appreciate your mindset, I don't think you really understand the severity of this problem." Kyoko picks up. "The Vendicare Penitentiary isn't just for people who have killed others or broken Omertà – we received a full list of Rokudo Mukuro's crimes." The woman pauses for dramatic effect or to prepare herself, Tsuna isn't certain, but it works in increasing his anxiety if anything. "He's wiped out entire Famiglias from the age of _five_." She intones gravely. "This isn't just a dangerous Mafioso, Tsuna-kun. This is a _mass murderer_."

"Okay," Tsuna takes a deep breath, pauses, and then takes another deep breath for good measure. "Okay," He repeats, collecting himself. "This – okay. But Mukuro isn't really _there_. This is Fuuta-kun. And Mukuro isn't going away until something is done about… his body." Tsuna is still really uncertain what's going on with that. A Grudge Monster has taken Mukuro over? He shudders.

Kyoko frowns. "Yes, about that… I've never heard of anything like that happening before. And Mukuro was an experiment for making a… Royale?" The woman hums, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry to say that I've never heard of Royale before either…."

Huh. With how Enma talked about it, Tsuna assumed these were more… common terms. At least with Grudge Monsters. Though speaking of, there were some other things Tsuna needed to ask. "Kyoko-chan, do you know of a… Vongola?" He tries, blinking when the other three turn to look at him with gaping faces. "What?"

Yamamoto recovers first. "Tsuna, you don't know about the Vongola Corporation?"

The Vongola Corporation. Tsuna frowns. "The major business corporation, Vongola?" Certainly it was based in Italy, but what would an international business have to do with Grudge Monsters?

"Yeah, they're extremely the biggest Mafia Famiglia in the world!" Ryohei confirms loudly.

Tsuna chokes.

"Squalo's from Vongola too, actually," Yamamoto adds as he pats Tsuna absently on the back. "He's part of their elite assassination group!"

Tsuna pales, then starts coughing as he almost swallows his tongue.

"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko cries, alarmed. "Are you okay?" When Tsuna fails to respond, too busy trying to catch his breath, the woman hurries to grab him from behind, pulling her arms around his abdomen. "Hang on, I'll help!" The police officer declares as she plants her feet firmly, hauling Tsuna off his feet.

The world flips upside down and the ground rushes up to meet him.

Ah.

* * *

"I'm really sorry, Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko cries, bowing deeply against the side of Tsuna's hospital bed.

"It's alright, Kyoko-chan," Tsuna waves the woman off, head wobbling slightly under the weight off the icepack suspended above his head. "You were only trying to uh, save me." By performing a German suplex. Someone (read: Ryohei) taught Kyoko the Heimlich maneuver incorrectly.

"It was really nice form," Yamamoto praises cheerfully. Ryohei nods sagely beside him.

"You guys do know that I only really treat women, right…?" Dr. Shamal mutters ineffectually, checking on the bump atop Tsuna's head. "This wasn't even an emergency."

"Think of it as a favor to me, Dr. Shamal," Kyoko says, grin blinding. Tsuna squints his eyes against the glare. "You're the only one I can count on." The woman adds, shyly biting her lip and looking away.

"Of course, of course!" Dr. Shamal smiles back, all apprehension about Tsuna's gender evaporating. "You can leave Sawada-kun to me, Kyoko-chan! I'll take good care of him!"

Tsuna watches this display of blatant manipulation with some dismay. This is the kind of police officer that can associate with Mafioso on the regular, he thinks, sighing. The exact kind of authority figure Basil warned him against.

"Anyways," Dr. Shamal coughs, pausing in his shameless flirtation with a woman more than ten years his junior. "You're free to go, Sawada. If you start feeling faint or start losing points on the Glasgow Coma Scale, you'll have to come back. Probably." The man advises, supremely unconcerned. "Go home and stare at a wall for the next few days. No excitement, got it?"

Tsuna – well associated with concussion precautions after all his run-ins with schoolyard bullies and Hibari – nods, frowning. No excitement wasn't really an option with his current roommates. Speaking of. "Kyoko-chan, can I leave Gokudera-kun with you again?" That'd take care of one of his troublemakers, though what he'd do with Fuuta and Mukuro was still an issue. Who was least likely to kill the man?

Dr. Shamal freezes. "Hey Sawada," The man starts, hands coming down to take a crushing grip around Tsuna's shoulders. "Did you just say Gokudera…?"

"Uh, Dr. Shamal, you're hurting me." Tsuna complains, wincing.

The man removes his hands as if burned. "Sorry." A pause. "So, you said – "

"Gokudera-kun is my cat," Tsuna says, bewildered at the doctor's uncharacteristic actions. "Is something wrong, Dr. Shamal?"

"A… cat." With a blink and a sigh, the man moves back, running a hand over his face. A strange chuckle escapes Dr. Shamal's lips. "Right, sorry." Looking at Tsuna with an uncomfortable grin, the man comments, "Gokudera… that's a weird name for a cat, Sawada."

"He kind of came with the name," Tsuna admits, awkward. Something occurs to him. "Hey, Dr. Shamal… do – did you know someone with the name Gokudera?" Tsuna asks, watching the man's shoulders stiffen.

"Yes, but that's an old story." Dr. Shamal huffs and turns away, closing the topic. "Get out of here, Sawada. I've got more important patients to take care of."

More curvy patients, Tsuna presumes.

"Right, I'll go call for transport back to the island," Kyoko declares as the nurse comes in with discharge papers. "Oh, right." She adds as she pokes her head back into Tsuna's room. "Don't worry about the bills. Dino-san said he'd take care of everything."

Tsuna struggles not to make a face. Right.

* * *

Kyoko sends Yamamoto and Ryohei to get the car as she walks Tsuna through the hallways out of the hospital. "Hey, Tsuna-kun?" She says, pulling Tsuna close enough to make him lean most of his weight on her shoulder. It's uncomfortable, but Tsuna, enjoying the faint scent of Kyoko's flowery perfume, doesn't comment on it. "We haven't made any turns, have we?"

Tsuna pauses, looking at the nearest room number plaque. "Not that I remember," He squints at the numbers, but the longer he looks, the fuzzier the indented figures seem to get. "Kyoko-chan, I think I'm starting to feel that faintness Dr. Shamal warned me about…."

"No, I'm feeling it too. There's something wrong here." Kyoko says, voice firm. "Stay close, Tsuna-kun. I don't like this."

Now alarmed, Tsuna twists his head around, noticing the sudden lack of human presence in what should be a common area of the hospital. The fuzziness of the environment worsens and the floor starts to wobble like the deck of a ship on the high seas. Dizzy, Tsuna crouches low to the ground, holding his hands to his ears.

The walls seem to come upwards and close in on him, and abruptly, Tsuna is aware of how _alone_ he is. "Kyoko-chan?" Tsuna calls, his voice small. A weight pulls him down, his legs collapsing onto the floor. "Yamamoto? Onii-san?" It's so dark – there's no one here. There's never _anyone_ here. That's how it's always been.

No-Good Tsuna has never had friends – why did he think he did now? That's right, he's always been alone. Alone, alone, _alone_.

"_I see. You're like me." _A soft voice says, and a pale girl appears out of the gloom, hair covering her left eye and her caved in abdomen visible even through her paper-thin hospital gown. _"It's so lonely. I'm so alone – there's no one who would miss me if I died."_

Overwhelmed by the wash of grief, Tsuna hardly thinks to scream at the ghastly visage of the disfigured girl. Instead he blindly reaches out to grasp at a thin shoulder, and pulls the slight figure into his chest. _"Don't – don't say that,"_ Tsuna gasps, involuntary tears streaming down his face. _"That's never true – don't say that."_ There's something about this small girl that makes Tsuna incredibly – sad. It doesn't make sense, and the more he tries to remember how he came to this point the less he remembers, but he can't leave this girl alone, Tsuna thinks.

"Tsuna-kun! Tsuna-kun!"

Tsuna blinks, looking up blearily. That sounded like – "Kyoko-chan," Tsuna murmurs, pulling away from the girl.

"_Will you miss me when I'm gone?"_ The girl asks, holding onto Tsuna tighter. _"Will you leave me alone too?"_ Tendrils and fuzzy growth sprout from the girl's skin, turning into long vines and feathers. The arms around Tsuna are soon entirely covered in down, then hard feathers that cut into Tsuna's skin. Tendrils wrap around Tsuna, their ends waving lazily like cats' tails. Dark purple overwhelms Tsuna's vision, the girl's one-eyed face soon the only thing visible amongst the feathers.

Drowning in grief, drowning in the purple, Tsuna can't breathe. He can't –

"Tsuna-kun!"

There's a loud crashing noise, and the dark purple space shatters like glass. Light pours in like a tidal wave, blinding Tsuna. Gasping, he coughs, choking like a fish in air as he's pulled away from the girl – the Grudge Monster.

Holding Tsuna by the back of his shirt is Kyoko, burning brightly with yellow flames covering parts of her body like a faux-fur. Round, fuzzy ears twitch from atop her head.

Cute, Tsuna thinks.

"Are you alright, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko asks, turning to Tsuna, blood crusted against one side of her head where a bullet hole is visible.

Tsuna pales. "Y-yeah," He stutters, even as he winces when clawed fingers lightly pass against open cuts from the Grudge Monster's feathers. Trying not to look too hard at the very worrisome and open wound on the woman's head, Tsuna turns the question back, "Are you…?"

Kyoko grins blindingly. "Don't worry about it. Grudge Monsters have to keep the body they're born from, so things look a little messy sometimes." The police officer waves a small handgun with a free hand. "Reborn isn't the only one who carries Dying Will bullets around." There's a dangerous glint to Kyoko's eyes as her smile reveals a dangerous looking set of fangs.

"Oh," Tsuna says faintly.

"Stay back. I'll handle the Grudge Monster." Kyoko says kindly, patting Tsuna's head.

As she turns away, Tsuna looks beyond the police officer to look at the Grudge Monster huddled before them. Now free from the monster's influence, Tsuna remembers the Grudge Monster's initial form – a small slip of a girl in a pale hospital gown, impossibly thin and lacking vital organs. "Wait, Kyoko-chan," Tsuna says, taking a hold of the woman's wrist. "That Grudge Monster – I think she's – she was a patient here. She's still a child, Kyoko-chan." Tsuna searches her face, "She probably died recently, right? Can't we talk her down? If we can get a stabilizing ring – "

"Oh, Tsuna-kun," Kyoko sighs, hands coming around to pat Tsuna's shoulders. She smiles at him, the picture of benevolence, and says, "Grudge Monsters aren't people anymore. You needn't feel so sad for them."

Tsuna wheezes.

How – how could Kyoko say that so easily? Certainly Yamamoto and Basil held that kind of hypocritical antagonism towards other Grudge Monsters, but Tsuna had thought – assumed – "Onii-san?" Tsuna manages at length, voice small.

Gently emancipating her hand from Tsuna's weakening grip, Kyoko pats his head, that same noncommittal smile on her face. "We'll talk after this, okay Tsuna-kun? You still have a concussion – take it easy."

And then the police officer is off in a blaze of yellow tinged flames.

Tsuna takes a moment to breathe deeply. Okay. Well this won't do. Closing his eyes, he reaches into his front pocket, fingers curling around the warm bullet still in his possession from the Vendice fiasco. Reborn had said he'd know what to do with it if the time came, but honestly, Tsuna has no clue.

He pulls the little orange object out of his pocket and eyes it critically. He doesn't want to fight anyone – least likely of all, _Kyoko_ – but at this rate that poor girl would –

Tsuna turns his attention back to the skirmish in front of him. The black purple… things that held Tsuna captive are now struggling to keep Kyoko at bay, purple flames bleeding from every cut and gash. The police officer alternates between jabbing and slashing at the other Grudge Monster, her skill in battle giving her an overwhelming advantage. There's no time to think. Dally any longer and there won't be a Grudge Monster _to_ save.

Okay, so what options _does_ he have? He could… throw the bullet at one of the two? Would that do anything? Tsuna figures the thing has to be some sort of special functionality with how Reborn somehow expected him to _need_ it during the meeting with the mummy ghosts, but Tsuna has never held a firearm in his life, nor does he have one on hand. He could run in between the two Grudge monsters and hope he doesn't get immediately skewered, but that requires a much more casual regard for his own life than Tsuna is comfortable with. What else –

A sudden jerk of the back of his shirt has Tsuna stumbling backwards to run into a soft wall. "Gyaah – !" Tsuna screams preemptively, hands swatting at his assailant blindly over his head.

"Argh, quit it! This is what I get for trying to help a man." The scruffy face of Dr. Shamal greets Tsuna as he looks up. The man quickly lets go of Tsuna, patting himself down as if to get Tsuna's male cooties off of him. "Moreover, what are you doing, standing there like an idiot? Kyoko-chan's got this taken care of. People like you should get out of here."

There's a strange emphasis on "you" that Tsuna doesn't entirely know what to do with.

That's not the issue here. "Dr. Shamal!" Tsuna gapes instead, staring stupidly at the man. "You're – but the Grudge Monster – " The surrounding hospital is still fairly non-distinct, the child Grudge Monster's influence still warping the space around it. Considering how Tsuna had nearly been eaten alive by the Grudge Monster, how had Dr. Shamal –

The man makes a face at him. "Did you really think I didn't have any ways of dealing with Grudge Monsters considering my profession? I'm not completely helpless."

Right – Dr. Shamal was an expert on Grudge Monsters. Wait, then maybe – "Dr. Shamal, what is this?" Tsuna asks, thrusting the orange bullet in front of the man's face.

"Kid, I really don't think this is the time to – " The doctor starts, then stares. "Wait, is that a Dying Will bullet? Sawada, how did you get your hands on this?"

"Reborn," Tsuna answers shortly, looking at the metallic object in a new light. Dying Will bullet. That was the thing that simulated death right? This… suddenly gives him a lot of options. Urgent now, Tsuna demands, "How do you use it?" that is, "Without a gun?" he tacks on hastily.

Dr. Shamal frowns. "Well, you only really need to pierce the outer casing – Sawada, what are you planning on doing? Hey, Sawada!"

Tsuna stops listening to the man as he rushes forward towards Kyoko and the Grudge Monster. Pierce the outer casing? He can always bite into it he guesses. If he can just get the two to stop fighting, Tsuna's sure they can talk it out. Get the Grudge Monster a ring – something. The amount of suffering and sadness he felt while in the Grudge Monster's grasp – he can't leave something like that alone.

Putting the bullet in between his canines, Tsuna bites down.

The world washes away in a sea of flames.

* * *

Tsuna gasps, pain erupting across his body.

He stares dumbly as the world regains focus, bright colors of the sky un-blending into distinct clouds and shades of the afternoon sun.

Everything burns, from the tip of his fingers to the inside of his chest – it's a vaguely familiar feeling, and Tsuna's heart clenches with dread. Sitting up, he takes in the scene of police cars and rescue vehicles flashing their bright emergency lights in a tight barrier along the street he's laying in. People rush around him, carting things and people on stretchers. Tsuna chances a glimpse of one of the victims, a painful looking burn blistering down the length of their arm.

"Tsuna?"

Tsuna turns around, his spine protesting the motion, to look at a cautiously approaching Yamamoto. Slightly crouched, arms held wide, the man takes measured steps towards him, face crumpled in worry.

It reminds Tsuna of how Kyoko had handled Basil.

Kyoko. "W-where's Kyoko-chan?" Tsuna croaks, "The Grudge Monster?"

"Sasagawa-chan will be fine," Yamamoto reassures. "The Grudge Monster got away." A pause. "Tsuna, the Grudge Monster's ability was to influence emotions. Okay?" The man adds, "This wasn't your fault."

Will be fine. The phrase bounces around in Tsuna's head, blocking out the rest of Yamamoto's words. Will be fine meant Kyoko was hurt. The burn victim. The disaster area around him.

The pieces slowly form into a horrifying picture, and Tsuna can't breathe.

"I – I hurt – " His throat closes around the rest of the sentence. Scrambling to his feet despite his body's protests, Tsuna backpedals, away from Yamamoto's too pitying face.

"Idiot-Tsuna. Stop thinking." A voice demands, a hand lying heavily on his shoulder. A short sting at the nape of his neck, and Tsuna stops. Thinking.


End file.
